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CORNELL UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARIES 

ITHACA, N. Y. 14583 



JOHN M. OLIN 
LIBRARY 



158.67.R6 r c e 67 UniVersi,yUbrar * 





The original of this book is in 
the Cornell University Library. 

There are no known copyright restrictions in 
the United States on the use of the text. 



http://archive.org/details/cu31924008640652 







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Rittenhouse Square 

Past and Present 



BY 

CHARLES J. COHEN 






PRIVATELY PRINTED 
1922 



To the Memory of 
My Honored Father and Mother 

HENRY AND MATILDA COHEN 

Who Lived in Rittenhouse Square 
for Nearly Forty Years 
This Sketch Is Dedicated 



"The world, as it is, is growing somewhat dim before my eyes; 
but the world, as it is to be, looks brighter every day." 




a* 



Pi a 



o 

o 
Ph 



FOREWORD 

A word of appreciation should be given to my friends and 
acquaintances, descendants of those portrayed "even to the 
third and fourth generation," for their courtesy in lending 
the portraits for the illustration of this address. The 
Historical Society, Philadelphia Library and the Free 
Library have made available their treasures, from which 
have been drawn many incidents to add to my personal 
recollections, as also to confirm traditions that had been 
carried from early youth. 

To the daily journals of Philadelphia I am indebted for 
much information of a biographic character taken from their 
notices of prominent men and women as published at the 
time of their decease. 

In November, 1920, my friend James F. Fahnestock, 
recalling a chance remark that some day I intended to write 
out memories of my life on Rittenhouse Square, asked me 
to prepare a paper embodying the above and to read it 
before the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Governors, who 
were to gather at his hospitable board at his residence, East 
Rittenhouse Square, on the evening of Monday, December 6, 
1920. Subsequently the paper was read, illustrated with 
lantern-slides, to my fellow-members of the Philobiblon Club 
on February 24, 1921 ; to those of the Penn Club on April 18, 
1921; to the Club Members of the Walnut Street Presby- 
terian Church on May 18, 1921; and to the members of 
the Historical Society of Pennsylvania on January 23, 1922. 

Since the facts collated with the portraits of men and 
women noted in municipal and social life accentuate a 
period and a phase of local history, it is thought desirable 
to put them in permanent form for presentation to my 
friends and those interested. 

Charles J. Cohen 

1520 Spruce Street, Philadelphia 
February, 1922 

(vii) 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 

Agnew, Mrs. Erwin 1 16 

Audenried, John T 201 

Audenried, Mrs. John T 202 

Boston Row 134 

Bowen, Ezra 54 

Brock, Robert C. H 148 

Brooks, Rev. Phillips 172 

Brown, Alexander, the Elder, and His Four Sons 53 

Brown, Alexander 190 

Brown, John A 199 

Brown, John A., Residence 200 

Brown, John A., Jr 145 

Brown, John Huston 64 

Browns & Bowen Bank 52 

Carver, Alexander B 234 

Cassatt, Alexander J 168 

Cassatt, Mrs. Alexander J 169 

Chestnut and Broad Streets 84 

Chestnut and Twelfth Streets 134 

Chestnut and Sixteenth Streets 178 

Clark, Ephraim 297 

Clark, Mrs. Ephraim 298 

Cochran, William G 210 

Cohen, Charles J., Birthplace 84 

Cohen, Henry 82 

Cohen, Mrs. Henry 83, 85 

Collins, Alfred M 1 26 

Collins, Mrs. Alfred M 128 

Crawshay (Cyfarthfa Castle) 260 

Crimea, U. S. Military Commission to the 132 

Croskey, Henry 118 

(ix) 



x Illustrations 

PAGE 

Croskey, Mrs. Henry 119 

Crousillat House 144 

Cuyler, Theodore 74 

Cuyler, Mrs. Theodore 75 

Dale, Richard C, the Elder 272 

Dale, Mrs. Richard C, the Elder 273 

Dale, Richard C 274 

Davis, Mrs. Sussex D 36 

Divine, William 13 

Divine, William Elliott 12 

Divine, William, Jr 12, 14 

Divine, William Stafford 12 

Dobbins, Edward T 27 

Dodson, Richard W 218 

Dodson, Mrs. Richard W 219 

Dodson, Miss Sarah Paxton Bali 220 

Dolan, Thomas 23 1 

Drexel, Anthony J 104 

Drexel, Francis A 102 

Drexel, Francis M 101 

Edwards, George W 248 

Evans, Manlius G 153 

Field, Mr. and Mrs. John W 291 

Fisher, Samuel F 206 

Fleming, Mrs. Mattie J 15 

Florance, William 277 

Fox, Dr: Charles W 65 

" Fort Rittenhouse " 299 

Franciscus, George C 154 

Frazier, William W 17 

Frazier, Mrs. William W 19 

Frazier, William W., Residence 18 

French, Clayton 194 

Galli, Count 252 

Galli, Countess 253 



Illustrations xi 

PAGE 

Gaul, William 228 

Gettysburg Proclamation 86 

Gibbons, Charles 94 

Gibbons, Mrs. Charles 95 

Gillespie, Mrs. Elizabeth Duane 156 

Goat, Bronze, in Rittenhouse Square 125 

Goodrich, Samuel G. ("Peter Parley") 88 

Gratz, Rebecca 133 

Grigg, John 198 

Groesbeck, Benoist 230 

Groesbeck, Mrs. Rosinf. 230 

Hacker, Charles 62 

Hale, Mrs. Sarah Josepha 70,71 

Hale, Miss Sarah Josepha 72 

Hanson, William Rotch 34 

Harding, James Horace, Residence 45 

Harper, James 226 

Harper, James, Residence 225 

Harrison, Joseph, Jr 259 

Harrison, Mrs. Joseph, Jr 262 

Harrison, Joseph, Jr., Residence 261 

Hart, Harry Reeves 60 

Hart, Reginald L 59 

Hart, Thomas 57 

Hart, Mrs. Thomas 58 

Harvey, Alexander E 140 

Harvey, Mrs. Alexander E 142 

Haseltine, Frank 195 

Henry, Joseph 87 

Hinckley, Isaac 289 

Hopkins, William Barton, M.D 108 

Horse Cars 121, 122 

Howell, Francis Carpenter 69 

Howell, Zophar C 66 

Howell, Mrs. Zophar C 68 

Hunter, Thomas P 80 

Janney, Robert M., Residence 81 



xii Illustrations 

PAGE 

Kemble, Frances Anne 26 

Kortright, Sir Charles Edward Keith 250 

Kortright, Lady 251 

Kortright Residence 255 

Lankenau, Frank 106 

Lankenau, John D 105 

Lejee, William R 240 

Lejee, William R., Residence 241 

Lennig, Charles 270 

Lewis, Theodore C 232 

Lewis, S. Weir 139 

Lippincott, J. B 161 

Lippincott, Mrs. J. B.. . 163 

Locust and Eighteenth Streets 266. 269 

Lundy, Mrs. J. P 295 

McFadden, John H 191 

McFadden, George H., Residence 303 

McMichael, Hon. Morton 99 

MacVeagh, Hon. and Mrs. Wayne 212 

Map of Rittenhouse Square 9 

Montgomery, John Teackle 296 

Moore, Mrs. Joseph 204 

Moore, Joseph, Jr 205 

Mordecai, Major Alfred 130 

Morrell, Edward de V 79 

Neff, John R., Jr 115 

Neff, Mrs. John R., Jr 114 

Newbold, Charles 285 

Nineteenth Street, South 171 

Norris, Henry 181 

Page, S. Davis 279 

Page, Mrs. S. Davis 282 

Pancoast, Charles Howard 152 

Paul, James W 292 

Paul, Mrs. James W 293 



Illustrations xiii 

PAGE 

Pepper, George S 208 

Percival, Mary Ann 23 

Percival, Thomas C 33 

Perott's Malt House 228 

Phillips, Clement S 29 

Physick, Philip 183 

Platt, Charles 286 

Platt, Mrs. Charles 287 

Posey, Dr. Louis Plumer 235 

Powel, Col. John Hare 188 

Repplier, George S 146 

Repplier, Mrs. George S 147 

Richardson, John 256 

Rittenhouse Birthplace 6 

Rittenhouse, David 3 

Rittenhouse, Fort 299 

Rittenhouse Square, Bird's Eye View ii 

Rittenhouse Square, Bird's Eye View, 1857 2 

Rittenhouse Square, Flower Show 8 

Rittenhouse Square Pool vi 

Rittenhouse Square, West 150, 171 

Rittenhouse Square with Iron Railings 4 

Rittenhouse Square in Winter 30 

Roberts, Algernon Sydney, Sr 184 

Roberts, Algernon Sydney, Jr 185 

Roberts Residence 182 

Roberts, George Theodore 238 

Roberts, Solomon W 90 

Roberts, Mrs. Solomon W 92 

Robinson, Edward Moore 213 

Rogers, Fairman 166 

Rogers, Mrs. Fairman 167 

Rosengarten, Mrs. Frank H 179 

Rosengarten, George D., Residence 178 

Sanford, E. S 56 

Scott, Mrs. Eliza Perkins 61 

Scott, Lewis A 24 



xiv Illustrations 

PAGE 

Scott, Col. Thomas A 96 

Scott, Col. Thomas A., Residence 97 

Shields, Rev. Dr. Charles W 136 

Shober, John B 290 

Shoemaker, Dr. John V 239 

Sibley, Edward A 275 

Sibley, Mrs. Edward A 276 

Sinnickson, Mrs. Charles P 137 

Sinnott, Joseph F 47 

Sinnott, Mrs. Joseph F 46 

Smith, Thomas Duncan 20 

Smith, Robert, Brewery 93 

Sparks, Thomas 221, 222 

Sparks, Mrs. Thomas 223 

Sparks, Thomas, Residence 227 

Sparks, Thomas Weston 224 

Stevens, Rt. Rev. Wm. B., D.D., LL.D 129 

Stevenson, Mrs. Cornelius 186 

Stratford Hotel, Old 249 

Street Railways 121, 122 

Sturgis, Robert S 214 

Sturgis, Mrs. Robert S 216 

Sylvester, Frederick J 236 

Thomas, Rear-Admiral Charles M 43 

Thomas, Joseph T 41, 42 

Thomas, Mrs. Joseph T 44 

Thomson, John Edgar 302 

Van Rensselaer, Alexander, Residence 242 

Vansant, A. Larue 112 

Vansant, Mrs. A. Larue 113 

Vaux, Richard 10 

Wade, Robert ^ x 

Wade, Mrs. Robert §1 

Walnut Street, 1815, 1813, 1811 227 

Walnut and Eighteenth Streets 246, 255 

Walnut and Nineteenth Streets 182 



Illustrations xv 

PAGE 

Wanamaker, Thomas B 107 

Weightman, William 254 

Wetherill, Samuel Price, Residence 301 

Whelen, Charles S 39 

Whelen, Henry, Jr 38 

Whelen, Townsend 37 

White, Floyd H 78 

White, Dr. J. William 32 

Wilmer, Rev. Joseph Pierce Bell, D.D 264 

Wilstach, William P 244 

Wilstach, Mrs. William P 245 

Wilstach, William P., Residence 246 

Winebrenner, David 268 

Wister, Jones 209 

Wood, George A 284 

Wurts, William 280 

Wurts, Mrs. William 281 

Wyeth, Frank H 123 



RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 
PAST AND PRESENT 




X 

O 

> 



13 
ffi 



INTRODUCTION 

In the belief that interest attaches to Rittenhouse Square 
and to the personality of those identified with its develop- 
ment, a brief survey is presented, founded upon personal 




Copyright by Moses King 

DAVID RITTENHOUSE 

1732- 1796 

Astronomer. Mathematician. Philosopher. First Director of Mint 

Treasurer of Pennsylvania 

recollections covering the years 1851 to 1880, with the sub- 
sequent knowledge that neighboring interests would convey 
up to the present time. 

'3) 



4 Introduction 

Rittenhouse Square, formerly known as Southwest Square, 
escaped the fate of those that were used as cemeteries. In 
1816 Councils resolved that if owners and occupants of 
property in the neighborhood would raise $800 to be lent 
to the City for three years without interest, Councils would 
close the Square with a fence of rough boards. This was 
accomplished and was followed by the tilling of the ground 
and sodding with grass. It was about 1825 that this section 




Rittenhouse Square with the iron railings which were removed in the year 1885 

{Photograph from a print recently presented to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by George H. Frazier) 

was named in memory of David Rittenhouse, the eminent 
astronomer, philosopher and mathematician, one whom the 
people "delighted to honor." 

Walter Lefferts, in a late number of our Geographical 
Bulletin, refers to the ability displayed by David Ritten- 
house when appointed to survey the boundary line between 
Pennsylvania and Maryland, so well done that resurveys 



Introduction 5 

have not been able to detect error in his calculations. Of 
the Commission appointed by the Governor were Judge 
Richard Peters, of Belmont; Benjamin Chew, of Cliveden; 
and Thomas Willing — men whose civic and national patri- 
otism have made it possible for us to inherit the privileges 
they so successfully accomplished, and the descendants of 
whom are our distinguished fellow-citizens of today, sharing 
in the responsibilities of communal life. 

David Rittenhouse was born in Roxborough (now a part 
of Philadelphia), of Dutch ancestors, one of whom was a 
maker of paper. To show the bent of mind, it is related of 
this youth of twelve years of age that he covered the handle 
of the plough and the wooden fences surrounding the farm 
with mathematical calculations, and when only eight years 
old he had constructed a complete water-mill in miniature, 
and at seventeen, the first wooden clock, an example of the 
latter being now in the collection at Memorial Hall, West 
Fairmount Park. After overcoming many obstacles he 
established his reputation as a philosopher and scientist, 
succeeding Benjamin Franklin as president of the American 
Philosophical Society. His observation of the transit of 
Venus was pronounced "the first approximately accurate 
result in the measurement of the spheres ever given to the 
world." It was due to his initiative that the commission to 
determine the northwestern extremity of the boundary be- 
tween New York and Pennsylvania was induced to include 
the triangle with the site of the City of Erie, within Penn- 
sylvania's line, thus giving that important outlet on the 
Lake. Rittenhouse filled many positions of honor and trust, 
of which may be named: Engineer to the Committee of 
Safety, in 1775; supervising the casting of cannon of iron 
and brass; engineer in developing the Continental powder- 
mill; also the adoption of the chain to protect the river 
Delaware from the approach of hostile shipping; the manu- 
facture of saltpeter; then he was our first State treasurer; 
the first director of the U. S. Mint; professor of astronomy 
in the University of Pennsylvania; and prominent in many 
other activities. 



6 Introduction 

In 1834 the Commissioners were ordered to lay out a 
street fifty feet wide on the western edge, to be known as 
Rittenhouse Street, and on the southern edge, to be called 
Locust Street. The wooden fence gave way to the iron 
railings in 1853, which later were removed and placed closer 
in, making the sidewalk wider, and in 1885 they were en- 
tirely removed and placed on the grounds of the University 
of Pennsylvania in West Philadelphia. (The dimensions of 
the Square are 540 feet on each of its four sides.) 




Birthplace and home of David Rittenhouse, Lincoln Drive, Fairmount Park 

Philadelphia 

The Square was surrounded by the white wooden railing 
already referred to, with the ordinary wood gate and latch 
at stated intervals. There were few houses on any of the 
four sides of the Square. 

When the iron railing was placed around the Square, it 
was intersected by swinging iron gates which were locked 
at night toward dusk, the Square-keeper, Dandy Stokes by 
name, ringing a bell to give notice, but it sometimes happened 
that pedestrians would approach from the Eighteenth and 
Walnut Streets corner, not having heard the bell, would 



Introduction 7 

enter and upon reaching the south side would find the gate 
barred, so that it meant passing the night in the open or 
climbing the gate, the latter plan being generally adopted, 
sometimes to the injury of one's clothing. 

In the sixties, the City gas lamps were not lighted upon 
moonlight nights. It happened, however, that passing 
clouds would obscure the moon, so that stray cows fre- 
quently would be encountered, very disconcerting to sober 
citizens wending their way homeward. 

Chickens and pigs were common visitors on the south 
side, where their wanderings were not interrupted by the 
traffic that occurred on the other sections of the Square. 

The night watchmen called the hours, adding, "All good 
people should be asleep." 

During the Civil War, 1861-65, the whole Square was 
used as a drilling-ground, where recruits were woven into 
shape for the Army of the Potomac. 

Frederick H. Shelton, a former neighbor, says, "We boys 
used to gather at the Square after dark and climb over the 
fence, when the constabulary was not looking, and roam 
around inside, chiefly, I take it now, because we were doing 
something that we were not supposed to do. We used to 
spot trees with sparrows' nests in the daytime, mark them, 
and at night go and gather them in. The old ladies 
were aghast at such slaughter, but many will hold that 
aught tending to decimate the English sparrow was to be 
encouraged." 

The Rittenhouse Square Improvement Association was 
formed in 1913, the suggestion coming from Mrs. J. Willis 
Martin, who was supported in her effort by a group of 
public-spirited and generous men and women who have 
created a wonderful change in the aspect of the enclosure — 
Nature in its most attractive form and a landscape not 
surpassed by any similar improvement in a section of a 
built-up city. 

Many public functions are now held, notably an annual 
Flower Market, which since 1918 has resulted in a financial 
return of over five thousand dollars, distributed to many 



Introduction 



beneficiaries and leaving a proper balance in bank as the 
basis for future enterprises of similar character. 

In 1920 the Art Alliance had an attractive exhibit of 
statuary, the figure of an American youth equipped for war 
and voicing the lines from "The Battle Hymn of the 
Republic" — "Mine eyes have seen the glory" — by that 
eminent sculptor, Cyrus Dallin, who did the "Indian Medi- 




Ledger Photo : 



Flower Show, Rittenhouse Square, May 20, 1915 



cine Man" now in Fairmount Park; the "Wind and Spray 
Fountain" by Mrs. Ladd; and the "Totem" fountain by 
Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney. 

Allen's map of the southwest section of Philadelphia, 
published by Tanner in 1830, shows Rittenhouse Square so 
marked. The streets, like Walnut, were named Eastland 
West, Broad Street being the dividing line, and those like 
Eighteenth and Nineteenth were named South Schuylkill 
Fourth (now Nineteenth Street) and South Schuylkill Fifth 



Introduction 9 

(now Eighteenth Street), the numbering being from the 
Schuylkill River, which was called Schuylkill Front and 
South from High (now Market Street), which was the 
dividing line, still retained. 

In the summer the grass was allowed to grow for weeks, 
attaining a good height, when men would come with the old- 
fashioned scythe (such as now used with illustrations of 
Father Time and the Grim Reaper), and the hay resulting 
would be carried away presumably for use in the City stables. 



jgSl jJBj 'gjj 







Allen's map of the southwest section of Philadelphia, published by Tanner in 

1830 

{Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania) 

Then in winter, when the gates were locked for many 
weeks, our chief amusement was to decide as to the depth 
of snow, it being measured by the small round-topped 
wooden stools, the only method of seating provided in those 
"good old days." 

It was not until a comparatively later date, that a U. S. 
mailing-box was provided, the first one being placed on the 
south side facing Nineteenth Street. Prior to this there 
were various forms of local transmission, the chief being 



IO 



Introduction 



"Blood's Dispatch," but its service was uncertain and the 
family's letters were usually carried downtown and posted 
in the main office, then on Dock Street below Third. 

In the early days an attraction was an enclosure in the 
center of the Square; in it were placed a number of deer, 
chief of which was a white animal captured at White Haven, 
Pa., by William H. French, living at that time at the south- 




Copyrlghl by Moses King 

RICHARD VAUX 
1816- 1895 



west corner of Seventeenth and Locust Streets, who was 
president of the Philadelphia City Institute, Eighteenth and 
Chestnut Streets. 

The present chief of the caretakers of the Square is 
William W. McLean, who has been identified with its pro- 
tection for many years and now, in his ninetieth year, still 
maintains a supervision. 

One of the pets of the many children was a cat of fine 



Introduction ii 

breed and handsome appearance. It is interred near the 
guardhouse, the spot being annually decorated by young 
friends of former days. 

Richard Vaux 

The portrait of Richard Vaux is shown since he was a 
daily visitor to Rittenhouse Square, usually before the 
breakfast hour, and always without a hat, enjoying in fullest 
measure the early breezes from the fragrant shrubbery. 

Mr. Vaux was of picturesque appearance and was a 
citizen of marked ability. He was recorder in 1841, con- 
troller of the public schools, inspector of the Eastern State 
Penitentiary for more than fifty years, and a frequent writer 
on penology. He was mayor in 1856 and was instrumental 
in creating the office of fire marshal. A director of Guard 
College in 1859, he served as president for several years and 
was mainly responsible for the early introduction of handi- 
craft manipulations, quoting Girard himself: "I would 
have them taught facts and things, rather than words and 
signs" — the forerunner of our modern manual-training insti- 
tutions. 

Mr. Vaux succeeded Samuel J. Randall and served a 
term in the U. S. Congress. His Democratic admirers 
often insisted that he was "Vox Populi." He was Grand 
Master of the Grand Lodge of Free Masons of Pennsylvania. 




WILLIAM DIVINE, Jr., 83 years of age 

WILLIAM STAFFORD DIVINE, 48 years of age 

WILLIAM ELLIOTT DIVINE, 17 years of age 1 



1 In the U. S. Aviation Service, 1917-18. 



1800-1802 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(50' x 100') 



1848 — William Divine. 
1880 — William W. Frazier. 



Beginning on the south side (which is called Locust Street 
on the City maps, but which has the euphemistic title of 
South Rittenhouse Square), on the western corner of what 




Photo by GuWkunsl 

WILLIAM DIVINE 
1800- 1870 



was then known as Schuylkill Fifth Street (now Eighteenth) 
there stood a substantial four-story brick dwelling, built 
and occupied by William Divine in 1849. Mr. Divine was 

(13) 



14 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



a successful manufacturer of textiles; his mill was nearby, 
it having been the place where he was first employed at $i 
per day wages, on his arrival from Ireland in 1827 after a 
voyage of 21 weeks. Later he became its owner. 




Photo by Phillips 



WILLIAM DIVINE, 
1824- 1909 



Jr. 



He had contemplated the purchase of Physick's residence 
at Nineteenth and Walnut, but considered its price of $20,000 
an extravagant figure, although after the completion of his 
own structure he found the expenditure much greater. 
The house was 25 feet in width, and the garden alongside 



Past and Present 15 

of equal width was parallel with Eighteenth Street. There 
were fruit trees in abundance, with an arbor for grapes 
and wisteria, and in the center were two stones from the 
Giant's Causeway. 



MRS. MATTIE J. FLEMING 

[Mattie Divine] 

1839- 1898 

Younger daughter of William Divine 

Divine was educated in Belfast, working later in Man- 
chester, where he acquired the knowledge of the use of 
cotton and wool that ensured his success in our Land of 
Opportunity. 



l6 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Divine was also a member of City Councils, 1846-50. 
Two sons and two nephews were in the 23 d Pennsylvania 
Volunteers during our Civil War, proving the Americanism 
of the family. 

Wm. Divine, Jr., was an active member of the com- 
munity and succeeded his father in the control of the mill 
properties. He was a director of Girard College, 1861-64. 
Shortly before his visit to England to participate in the 
opening of the Great Exhibition of 1851 he received the 
appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel on the staff of William 
F. Johnston, Governor of Pennsylvania and Commander- 
in-chief of the Pennsylvania Militia. While abroad a 
member of the office force at the mill, Allen Candelet, wrote 
him from Philadelphia under date of May, 1851, mentioning 
some details of home life and I quote: 

Last week the President [Millard Fillmore] and most of the 
Cabinet passed through the city en route to open the Erie Rail- 
road. The President and Daniel Webster addressed the citizens 
from the balcony in front of the U. S. Hotel [north side of Chestnut 
above Fourth Street, a ramshackle affair as I remember it but the 
leading hostelry at the time noted]. 

He was well received and warmly but fittingly acknowledged 
his reception. Webster spoke at length and as only great men can 
speak. He frowned down disunion and opposition to the laws. 
It had a telling effect upon a large assemblage and will with the 
President's manly address and bearing have their effect upon the 
next presidential election. 

All our political friends are well and all without exception 
desire their most cordial regards to you. Bill Crabbe especially 
is warm in his remembrance and I never see him but we do our 
utmost to promote "Virtue, Liberty and Independence." They 
are of course loafing at present. . 

I called at the house [1800-02 South Rittenhouse Square] last 
night, sat awhile with Mrs. Divine. Your father was superintend- 
ing some repairs at a house in Lombard Street and the children 
were all romping in the Square and could not find time to come to 
supper. 



Past and Present 



i7 



About 1883 William W. Frazier removed the old building 
and covered the full lot with the present modern structure, 
which is now for sale. 

Mr. Frazier was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, his 




WILLIAM W. FRAZIER 
1839- 1921 

(Photo by Boissonnas el Tapoaier. 12 Rue de la Paix, Paris) 

parents, Benjamin West and Isabella Zimmerman Frazier, 
being at that time on a trip to South America. A graduate 
of the College of the University of Pennsylvania in 1858, at 
the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in a volunteer 
regiment and was commissioned lieutenant of the Sixth 



i8 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Pennsylvania Cavalry, known as Rush's Lancers, of which 
he was later captain. For years he entertained the surviving 
members annually at his summer home at Rydal. 

After his return from the Army service he entered the 
employ of the sugar refining firm of Harrison, Havemeyer 
& Co., later becoming a partner in that firm and its successor, 
Harrison, Frazier & Co., which was in turn succeeded by 
the Franklin Sugar Refining Company, from which he retired 




Copyright by Moves King 

William West Frazier's residence, Rittenhouse Square, southwest corner 

Eighteenth Street 

in 1892. Mr. Frazier was interested in the work of the 
Protestant Episcopal Church and was for many years a 
member of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Penn- 
sylvania and a vestryman of Holy Trinity Church. Of 
his many activities may be mentioned directorship in the 
Philadelphia Trust Co., The American Pulley Co., The 
Western Saving Fund Society, trustee of the University 
of Pennsylvania, treasurer of the Episcopal Hospital, and 
trustee of the Hampton Institute. Subsequent to his death 



Past and Present 



19 



in August, 192 1, it was revealed that he had been the secret 
benefactor of the Eighth Ward Settlement House at 926 
Locust Street. 

Mrs. William W. Frazier was the daughter of Mr. and 




.MRS. WILLIAM W. FRAZIER 
1842- 1915 

{Photo by Bofssonnas it Taponier, 12 Rue de la Paix, P(tris) 

Mrs. George L. Harrison and sister of Charles Custis Har- 
rison, LL.D., former provost of the University of Pennsyl- 
vania and a man whom we certainly "delight to honor" 
for his munificent aid to the University in its various 
branches, and of late to the Museum of Archaeology, which 



20 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



rivals many of the most celebrated institutions of its kind 
in the world. 

Mrs. Frazier was the founder of the Harrison Day 
Nursery and a patron and generous donor to many char- 
ities, among which may be named The Travelers Aid 
Society, Children's Aid Society, Women's Directory. She 
was a member of Holy Trinity Church. 




Photo by Gutekunst 

THOMAS DUNCAN SMITH 
1812- 18S0 



1804 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



1 861 — Mary J. Lankenau. 
1867 — Thomas D. Smith. 
1890 — Emma Tower Reilly. 



No. 1804 was occupied by John D. Lankenau from 1855 
until i860, when he removed to the southwest corner of 
Nineteenth Street and the Square, about which comment 
will be made later. 

His successor in 1867 was Thomas Duncan Smith, the 
great-grandson of Rev. Wm. Smith, the first provost of the 
University of Pennsylvania. William Rudolph Smith at 
the Philadelphia Bar, and known to many of us, is the son 
of the first-named, whose ancestor on the mother's side was 
Michael Hillegas, first treasurer of the United States. Then 
there is General Rudolph Smith, who won his spurs in the 
war of 1812 and later became Attorney-General of the State 
of Wisconsin. In my friend Smith's house on Pine Street 
are portraits of Captain Anthony (another ancestor) by 
Gilbert Stuart; of the first provost, a copy by Sully from 
the original by Gilbert Stuart; the background is a river 
scene of the Falls of the Schuylkill, where the Doctor lived. 
It is related that, suspected of leaning toward the British 
view at the period of the Revolution, he was imprisoned, but 
continued to give instruction to his classes and was soon 
released with abundant proof of his loyalty to the American 
cause. 

Later, Mrs. Reilly, sister of the Hon. Charlemagne Tower, 
became the owner of No. 1804. The present occupants are 
Mr. and Mrs. William Arrott. 

(21) 



1806 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(32' x ioo'j 



c. 1857 — Mary Ann Percival. 
1864 — Lewis A. Scott. 



A double house with cement front. In 1852 it was occupied 
by Miss Marv Ann Percival, with her brother Thomas. One 
of my earliest recollections is attending there a children's 
party, probably my first, the entertainment having left an 
indelible impression. 

Lewis A. Scott was born in Philadelphia in 1819. He had 
a notable ancestry, the first arrival in this countrv being 
Sir John Scott, of Scotland, who reached America in 1700, 
becoming a citizen of the City of New York in 1702. His 
oldest child was also John Scott, his sons supporting the part 
of the Colonies against England. He was mentioned in the 
correspondence as one of the triumvirate of lawyers com- 
plained of to the British authorities in the Colonial period. 

He occupied many positions, political and military, 
especially delegate in the Continental Congress, Brigadier 
General in the State Militia, honorary member of the Society 
of the Cincinnati. His descendants have occupied prominent 
positions at the Bar, and in the political life of Philadelphia 
from 1807. The Lewis A. Scott, our neighbor, was educated 
at Crawford's School, Fourth below Arch, a graduate of the 
University of Pennsylvania and a member of the party of 
surveyors engaged in the survey for the Philadelphia & Erie 
Railroad Company. Later, he was admitted to the Bar in 
1841, and had the reputation of being an able and skilful 
attorney, maintained by consistent application to study 
while in the active practice of his profession. He was en- 
gaged in many important causes, especially in those relating 

(22) 



Past and Present 23 

to real estate. He was vigorous in maintaining the peace 
during the native American riots in 1844 while his father 
was mayor of the City. 

Upon the outbreak of the Civil War he became enthu- 
siastic in the support of the Federal Government, was one of 




MARY ANN PERCIVAL 
1799- 1881 

the earliest members of The Union League, and was secretary 
on the staff of Col. Pleasanton, Commander of the Home 
Guards. 

His wife was Frances A. Wistar. Mr. Scott was a 
member of many historical and scientific associations, was 



-4 



RlTTENHOUSE ScjUARK 



an expert Egyptologist, and had written extensively on 
anthropology. 

His oldest son, Hon. John M. Scott, dwelt here as a 
member of his father's household, but later established his 
own "vine and fig tree.'' 

He served for some years in our State Legislature, and 




L. A. SCOTT 
1819- 1896 

it has always been a matter of regret that he withdrew from 
this activitv, since it is to men of his tvpe that we look for 
the development of the best in government. 

Senator Scott's brother, Alexander, was here until his 
marriage in 1920. 

Miss Hannah Scott continues as a resident, establishing 
probably the longest continuous familv domicile in the Square. 



1808 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



— Anna Phillips. 
— Trustees Emeline Griffiths. 
— Mary H. Griffiths. 
iSsi — Edward T. Dobbins. 



This was built at the same time as No. 18 10 and was for 
Mrs. Griffiths, a sister of Mr. Clement S. Phillips. During 
one winter in the fifties it was occupied by Mrs. Pierce Butler 
[Frances Anne Kemble] and her daughter with her husband 
Canon Leigh, the son of Lord Leigh, of Stoneleigh Abbey. 

Fanny Kemble was the daughter of Charles Kemble 
and niece of Mrs. Siddons, both famous in the theatrical 
world of that day. Her first appearance on the English 
stage was as Shakespeare's Juliet, and then Portia, but her 
crowning triumph was as Julia in Sheridan Knowles's master- 
piece, "The Hunchback," written expressly for her. 

After her marriage to Pierce Butler, of Philadelphia, 
they lived on the Butler estate in Georgia, but, having 
pronounced anti-slavery views, dissensions arose, Mrs. 
Butler obtained a divorce, and for years lived in retirement 
in New England. 1 

Resuming her maiden name, Frances Anne Kemble 
appeared as a reader of Shakespeare, and one of my precious 
memories is her presentation of both comedy and tragedy 
at our Academy of Music, making a lasting impression by 
her magnificent presence, a voice flexible, ample and har- 
monious, with a remarkable self-possession. The only one 
who has approached this excellence was the late Doctor 
Horace Howard Furness, whose readings were a delight 

1 Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-183°, by Frances 
Anne Kemble. New York, Harper & Bros., 1863. 

(25) 



2 6 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



and joy second only to those of Mrs. Kemble, whose example 
gave the suggestion and impetus to Dr. Furness as related 
to me last spring by the late Dr. Morris Jastrow, to whom 
it had been imparted. 

In 1 88 1 Edward T. Dobbins and his sister became the 
owners; the latter has survived her brother and is still a 




FRANCES ANNE' KEMBLE 

1809 - 1893 
i From thi palnlinn by sir Thomas Lawn net 



resident. Mr. Dobbins was a member of the firm of John 
Wyeth & Bro., manufacturing chemists. His relaxation 
was the driving of a stylish buggv with a tast horse in the 
park and through the surrounding country roads. He was 
a brother of Richard ]. Dobbins, the contractor for Memorial 



Past and Present 



27 



Hall, the Art Building for the Centennial Exhibition in 
Fairmount Park, now containing the exhibits under the care 
of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art. 
Edward T. Dobbins was a member of the Colonial 
Society and of the Sons of the Revolution and a member of 
The Union League. 




EDWARD T. DOBBINS 
1S41 - 1906 



1810 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(22' x 100') 



1850 — Clement S. Phillips. 
1885— J. William White, M.D. 



No. 1 8 10 was the home of Clement S. Phillips where he 
dwelt for many years; there were three sons, George Brinton, 
William and Clement, the last two my companions in our 
morning walk to Dr. John W. Faires' Classical Institute on 
Dean Street below Locust in the fifties and early sixties. 

Mr. John Phillips (the brother of the senior Phillips) had 
made a study of the art of engraving; he presented his 
unrivaled collection of engravings to the Pennsylvania 
Academy of the Fine Arts with a generous endowment, the 
income therefrom to be used for its care. 

Mr. George Brinton Phillips has responded to the request 
to give his personal recollections, an extract from which 
follows : 

Some Early Recollections of Rittenhouse Square 
By George Brinton Phillips 

The residence, No. 1810 South Rittenhouse Square, into which 
we moved in 1850, was built for my father, Clement Stocker 
Phillips, and owned by him, and we lived there for more than 
thirty years. 

I remember Col. Thomas A. Scott's house, on the Nineteenth 
Street corner, had a beautiful drawing-room and a ballroom 
decorated in the Egyptian style; charming balls and entertain- 
ments were given there by Mrs. Scott, a most gracious hostess. 

In those days, when "Society" was much smaller than now, 
social functions were given in private houses and not in public 

(28) 



Past and Prese 



NT 



2 9 



halls as has been the custom in later years; the handsome family 
silver, glass and china decorated the table; I recall a "coming- 
out" ball given for my sister at No. 1810 in the late fifties. 

You have asked me for some particulars of my father's career. 
He was never engaged in business, but served for some years on 




CLEMENT STOCKER PHILLIPS 

1809- 1879 

the Board of City School Directors. He was a member of the 
Old Fish House Club, the historic "State in Schuylkill," famous 
for its dinners cooked by the members, and its "Fish House 
Punch," which may have proved a consolation when the "gentle 
art of angling," once a joyous pastime to its members on the river, 



3° 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



had survived only as a cherished memory. My father was well 
known as a keen sportsman, famous for his skill in shooting such 
game as birds and ducks, as well as an expert fly fisherman, and 
had the reputation for alluring the wary trout from streams when 
others failed. He contributed an article on "Sea Fishing at 
Narragansett" in Thaddeus Norris' well-known book, and, in 
addition to his knowledge of the art of angling, had mechanical 
ability, shared by several other members of the Phillips family. 




Rittenhouse Square in winter 

In those days, good fishing paraphernalia were difficult to 
obtain, and my father made many light split bamboo fly rods for 
his own use and as presents to his friends. The clergy are some- 
times enthusiastic fishermen, and Bishop Phillips Brooks and the 
Reverend Charles Cooper, friends of my father, often accompanied 
him on such expeditions. 

Rittenhouse Square in the early fifties contained some fine old 



Past and Present 31 

forest trees; one great spreading willow grew at the southeast 
corner, and at one time some tame deer were enclosed in the center. 

The Square was the pleasure ground frequented by the remote 
as well as by those who lived around it. In the afternoons of the 
springtime it was the meeting-place of fashionable society, and 
on Sundays the promenade from the churches in the neighbor- 
hood. Patriotic functions were held there during the Civil War, 
as well as in recent times, and I can recall when the War broke out 
in 1S61 and at the first "call to arms" I had volunteered as a 
private in the Commonwealth Artillery, I took a parting look at 
its springtime foliage on the way to join my Company. 

To those whose good fortune it was to have lived around 
Rittenhouse Square and looked from their windows upon it, the 
memory of those primeval forest trees, refreshing to the eye in 
the summer with their splendid foliage, and in the winter covered 
with snow, or sparkling ice, will always be a happy thing to dwell 
upon. 

After Mr. Phillips' death, the house was purchased by 
Dr. J. William White, a greatly beloved citizen, dominant 
in the affairs of the University of Pennsylvania, an intimate 
friend of the late Theodore Roosevelt, and a man whose 
influence was widely recognized. A few years since a 
memorial tree was planted in the Square in recognition of 
Dr. W 7 hite's commanding personality. 

This is a brief excerpt taken from an admirable biography 
by Agnes Repplier, who has graciously granted permission 
for its insertion: 

The Whites are of English ancestry; our notable friend was 
the son of Dr. J. W. White, first president of the S. S. White 
Dental Manufacturing Company, prior to which he had been a 
practicing physician of marked ability, noted as a successful 
diagnostician. 

The first important event in the career of our Dr. White was 
his engagement as Hydrographic Draughtsman to accompany 
Professor Agassiz on the latter's exploration expedition to the 
South Atlantic. He writes to his father, "Agassiz says he can 
teach me more comparative anatomy in a month than I shall ever 



3 2 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



learn in a year at College." He adds, "The Professor is down 
on the Darwinian theory, so, although I believe in it at present, 
I think I'll renounce it for a year. He is going to let me buy a 
shot-gun, the bill to be sent to him; which is the most expensive 
kind?" 

Among his many activities were his professional resi- 
dence at Blockley, at the Eastern Penitentiary, Surgeon to 
the Citv Troop, and always athletics, which he taught by 
precept and example. Perhaps some may remember the 
famous duel that was fought on the Maryland-Delaware 




DR. J. WILLIAM WHITE 

1850- 1916 

{Photograph from the painting by J ohn S. Sargent, noic in the University of Ptnn^i/ln.nia) 

border between himself and Robert Adams, Jr., arising 
over the request from Dr. White as Surgeon that he should 
be permitted to wear the same uniform as that prescribed 
for the Troop. Neither of the participants was injured, 
and years after, the point having been yielded in the 
Doctor's favor, a reconciliation was effected. 



Past and Present 



33 



The passion for athletics colored Dr. White's life, 
affording him the pleasures of his youth, the enthusiasms 
of his middle age, and the adamantine convictions which 
lasted until his death. 

Mrs. White is still a resident, active in all good com- 
munal work. 




Photo by Broadbent L £- Phillips 

THOMAS C. PERCIVAL 
1802- 1876 



34 



RlTTENHOUSE SgUARE 




WILLIAM ROTCH I [HANSON 
1810- 1884 



1812 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(22' x 100') 



1863 — Hannah A. Hanson. 

1879 — Robert H. Hare. 

1885 — Catharine Smith. 

1892 — Mary E. Lee, wife of Edmund J. Lee, M.D. 



This house was built and occupied by Thomas C. Percival, 
a prominent merchant in his day and the brother of Mary 
Ann Percival, who lived at No. 1806, to which reference has 
just been made. 

Mr. Percival's widow died recently; her father was 
John K. Helmuth of the Grange, then far out of town, but 
now the site of the Ridgway Branch of the Philadelphia 
Library. William R. Hanson occupied it in 1863; he was 
born in Dover, N. H., and, coming to Philadelphia in his 
sixteenth year, entered the house of David S. Brown, with 
whom he was associated for many years. 

Robert H. Hare was the next owner; he was the brother 
of Hon. John Innes Clark Hare, Judge of our Court of 
Common Pleas and the son of Dr. Robert Hare, a celebrated 
chemist with a world-wide reputation. Professor Edgar 
Fahs Smith, of the University of Pennsylvania, has written 
a biographv of this noted man, showing wherein he was 
famous and the many inventions and discoveries that he 
gave to the scientific world. 

Dr. Hare's granddaughter became the wife of Sussex D. 
Davis, who happily is still with us. Mr. and Mrs. Davis 
lived here until the latter's death. She is remembered by 
her friends as a woman of great sweetness of disposition 

(35) 



36 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



combined with remarkable literary accomplishments, render- 
ing her companionship a delight to those who had the 
privilege of association. 

In 1892 it came into possession of Dr. and Mrs. Edmund 
J. Lee, who are still resident there. Mrs. Lee is the 




MRS. SUSSEX D. DAVIS 

[Mary Fleeming Hare] 

1846- 1885 

{From a miniature by Brown) 



daughter of Charles Smith, the well-known banker, whose 
office was at 303 Chestnut Street. Mr. Smith was inter- 
ested in numismatics, taking special pride in an exceptional 
collection of gold coins issued by the State of California. 



1814 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



1851 — Sarah Y. Whelen. 

1900 — William P. Henszey. 

1909 — Mary L. H. Ashton, wife of Thomas G. Ashton. 



No. 1 8 14 was one of three built at about the same time; 
this one being owned and occupied by Townsend Whelen, 
banker and broker and founder of the firm of Townsend 
Whelen & Company, about 1853, succeeding the firm of 
Edward S. Whelen & Co., of which Mr. Lejee was a partner. 




TOWNSEND WHELEN 
1822- 1875 

Townsend Whelen served 25 years as a vestryman and 
warden of the Church of the Atonement, was a trustee of 
the Yeates Institute Fund, and a member of the Standing 
Committee of the Diocese. 

(37) 



38 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



There were several sons : Henry, my own age, a graduate 
of Annapolis, and in the U. S. Navy for a number of years, 
finally resigning and entering the banking house. He mar- 
ried Miss Baker, the daughter of William S. Baker, one of 
the Council of the Historical Societv of Pennsylvania, and 




Copyright by Moses Kina 

HENRY WHELEN, Jr., 1848-1907 

himself possessed of a wonderful collection of Washing- 
toniana. Charles, some years younger (who married Miss 
Violett, of New Orleans), who also entered the banking firm; 
and Dr. Alfred Whelen, a physician of note. 

The sister is the wife of William Rudolph Smith, previ- 
ously referred to as at No. 1804. 

The Whelens have a notable ancestry. At the opening 
of the Revolution, Israel Whelen became an enthusiastic 



Past and Present 



39 



supporter of the patriotic cause, and as Commissioner signed 
the first issue of Continental Currency. His grandfather 
was James S. Whelen, a native of England, who married, in 
New York, Sarah Dennis, granddaughter of Maria Jacques, 
a French Huguenot, who had fled to South Carolina after 




Copyright by Moses King 

CHARLES SMITH WHELEN, 



1850- 1910 



the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Although Israel 
Whelen was a member of the Society of Friends, he entered 
the patriot army and became the Commissary General. 
With the return of peace, he rejoined the Society with which 
he was in full sympathy. He was buried at Fourth and 
Arch in the Friends' ground. 

In 1900 William P. Henszey, a member of the firm of the 
Baldwin Locomotive Works, purchased this property, had 
it extensively reconstructed, and presented it to his daughter, 
the wife of Dr. Thomas G. Ashton. 



1816 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



— Anthony J. Drexel. 
1856 — Joseph T. Thomas. 
1875 — Samuel B. Thomas. 
1889 — George F. Huff. 

1899 — Dorothy Barney Harding, wife of J. Horace Harding. 
1903 — Joseph F. Sinnott. 
1904 — Annie E. Sinnott, wife of Joseph F. Sinnott. 



This house was built by Townsend Whelen's brother, 
Edward, who lived afterward at 1520 Walnut Street, ad- 
joining what is now the Middle City Bank. 

Joseph T. Thomas, attorney and counselor, was a man 
of many talents, and, in addition to his celebrity at the Bar, 
was a fine Shakespearean scholar and of a most affable dis- 
position. 

He was a member of the State Legislature for several 
terms, was a stalwart Republican, but was finally defeated 
during his last campaign. I sat next to him in the Walnut 
Street car as we were riding home, and since he seemed to 
be greatly depressed, in answer to my inquiry as to his 
health he replied, "I am not ill but am up the spout," a 
new expression to my youthful mind, which had to be ex- 
plained later upon reaching home. 

During the Civil War, entertainments were given for the 
benefit of the Sanitary Commission, one that I recall being 
a reading at the old school house, Twelfth and Locust Streets, 
in which Mr. Thomas took part with my parents, selections 
being from Shakespeare and Thomas Hood, so that the 
audience might have a varied program, a plan still in general 
use. 

(40) 



Past and Present 



4i 



The only son was Charles, who entered Annapolis and 
attained the rank of rear-admiral. On the entrance of the 
16 battle-ship fleet in the year 1908 to the Golden Gate at 
San Francisco, Thomas' flag went up as in supreme com- 
mand. He was a man of the highest principles and a 
charming companion. 

The surviving daughter is Mrs. George de B. Keim, 
whose husband was a prominent politician serving a term 
as sheriff and later was a candidate for the mayoralty. 




JOSEPH T. THOMAS 
1817- 1890 



At the time of the Centennial, Mrs. Thomas and her 
daughters, who were linguists, entertained distinguished 
foreigners visiting Philadelphia; the nights were warm, 
the rooms being of moderate size, the chairs and those of 
their neighbors were placed on the side-walk in the open, 
and many memories were carried away of cordial hospitality. 



42 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



From Mrs. Ellet's book, "Beauties and Celebrities of the 
Nation," describing a reception in Washington fifty years 
ago: 

The belle of the evening was recognized in the person of Mrs. 
Joseph T. Thomas, of Philadelphia, by far the most elegantly 




JOSEPH T. THOMAS 
Aged 50 years 

dressed and queenly-looking woman present. Indeed, at every 
assemblage and on every festive occasion of this season, Mrs. 
Thomas had been noted for beauty, superior bearing, and her rich 
and tasteful attire. 



Past and Present 



43 



Mrs. Thomas is a native of the valley of Virginia, and was 
educated in Richmond, where her piquant and graceful manners 
and her excellent qualities of heart won hosts of admirers and 
lasting friends. She was married at the elegant country-seat of 
her uncle, Colonel Tuley, of Virginia, to Mr. J. T. Thomas, a 




REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES M. THOMAS, U.S.N. 
1847- 1908 

member of the Philadelphia Bar; they reside on Rittenhouse 
Square, in that City. 

Mrs. Thomas possesses the peculiar charm of southern women, 
a blending of grace and dignity, of cordial frankness, and winning 
ease. Her true hospitality has been proved by many visitors. 



44 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Mrs. Thomas was over 90 years of age at the time of 
her death, having been cared for by her daughter, Mrs. 
George de Benneville Keim, with a loving solicitude — a fine 
example to many of the present generation. 

James Horace Harding was here for some time; he was 
of the firm of Charles D. Barney & Co., bankers. Mr. 
Harding's wife is the granddaughter of Mr. Cooke. 




MRS. JOSEPH T. THOMAS 
1824- 1916 

{From the engrailing by H. B. Hall, New York, in Mrs. E. F. Ellel's 

Nation") 



'Beauties and Celebrities of the 



Mr. Harding is the donor of the statue of Jay Cooke, 
the noted financier of the Civil War, with whom he was 
closely associated in many of his later business activities 
and for whose sterling worth and great abilities he had much 
admiration, a feeling largely shared by Americans. 

The statue was presented in October of last year to the 
City of Duluth, of which Mr. Cooke is called "The Father," 
he having practically founded the city and given to it the 
first acclaim that has brought to it prosperity and fame. 



Past and Present 



45 



Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Sinnott succeeded Mr. Hard- 
ing in the ownership of this property. Mr. Sinnott was of 
the firm of Moore & Sinnott, noted distillers. 

Jules E. Mastbaum has recently become the owner of 
No. 1816. 




Copyright by Moses King 
James Horace Harding residence, 1816 South Rittenhouse Square 



Newport, March 7, 1862. 
Dear Charlie: 

I received your sweet and affectionate communication of the 
25th ult. and have hardly words sufficient to express my satisfac- 
tion at its contents. I was exceedingly glad to hear of the great 



46 RlTTENHOUSE SgUARE 

success of your cadet-corps, and I might as well add, that I was 
very much pleased with the graphic description you were so kind 
as to give me. Please receive my best thanks, dear Charlie, for 
the carte de visite you sent me in your last, and rest assured that 




Photo bi/ Mnmide hell 

MRS. JOSEPH F. SIXXOTT 
1842- 1918 

I shall ever value it as a remembrance of the many boyish days 
that we have passed so very pleasantly together. The picture is 
not half as handsome as you are, dear friend, but nevertheless I 
shall ever prize it and preserve it carefully. I think, if you 
could see our battalion, composed of I So midshipmen, drill, that 



Past and Present 47 

you would be astonished at the great proficiency we have attained 
in the short time of five months. Two crews practice rowing every 
clear afternoon, while the other eight crews are drilling either with 
muskets or with the heavy guns on the spar deck. When you 




Photo by Goldensky 

JOSEPH F. SINNOTT 
1837- 1906 



write again, which I hope will be soon, you must give me all the 
news around town, and tell me how you are getting along in chess; 
speaking of chess, I don't think that it would be amiss to add that 
I would give almost anything to have a good game of chess with 
either vou or Sol. 



48 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

As the drum will beat in five minutes for dinner, I must bring 
this communication of mine to a close by wishing to be remem- 
bered to all as if named. Believe me ever your very affectionate 
friend. 

Charles M. Thomas, 
U. S. Navy. 

P. S. I am very jubilant over the late decisive Union victories. 
All hail to McClellan. 

The foregoing letter was written by my friend and com- 
panion when he was a student at the U. S. Naval Academy, 
which had removed to Newport, R. I., during the Civil War. 
The Cadet Corps referred to was the one initiated by M. 
Hlasko, a dancing-master with rooms at the Natatorium on 
the east side of Broad Street, between Walnut and Locust 
Streets. On the second floor the dancing lessons and balls 
were given and on alternate days the cadets drilled. Sub- 
sequently Major Eckendorf took charge, after whom the 
Corps was re-named. During my service Lewis Ashmead, 
who lived on Pine Street above Eighteenth, was the captain, 
and Lewis Koecker, son of Doctor Koecker, Walnut Street 
above Thirteenth, was a prominent member. I was 14 
vears of age and was proud of participating in a military 
play staged at our Academy of Music; one of its features 
was the sleeping at his post of a sentry (Koecker) who was 
tried by summary court-martial and condemned to be shot 
at sunrise of the following day. At the approach of the 
fatal moment a trooper dashed up with a reprieve based on 
the culprit's former high military record; I was one of the 
firing squad of four detailed for this soul-stirring event. 

And then there was a parade, including the march out 
Walnut Street where the cobble-stone pavement proved a 
severe test for us youngsters, since we carried the old- 
fashioned muzzle-loading gun with knapsack and regalia. 

As an evidence of his ability and the esteem in which he 
was held I have secured a copy of the following letter: 



Past and Present 49 

Philada., Penna., 
24th Jan'y, 1887. 
The Hon. Wm. C. Whitney, 

Sec'y of the U. S. Navy, Washington, D. C. 
Sir: 

I beg leave to express my appreciation of the services and char- 
acter of Lieut. Com. Chas. M. Thomas, U.S.N., who served under 
my command on board the flag-ship "Hartford" on the Pacific 
coast during the years 1885 and 1886. I commend Lieut. Com. 
Thomas for his high moral character, which gave him a position 
among the officers of the "Hartford" enabling him to control his 
surroundings by his personal influence. I recognize his possessing 
that peculiar power of governing men by appealing to their better 
natures instead of the punishment imposed by law. On two 
different occasions the Governor of Valparaiso told me "that he 
gave the 'Hartford' a warm welcome to that port because the 
crew behaved so well while the ship had lain there; not a sailor 
having ever been arrested by the police, a thing that had never 
happened with a man-of-war of any other nation visiting that 
harbor for a lengthened stay." I attribute the fact to Lieut. Com. 
Thomas's tact in raising the tone of the men's character and taste 
by different methods, such as interesting himself in their amuse- 
ments and encouraging and guiding them to a high grade of 
recreation. During six months of the cruise, he was in command 
of the flag-ship, her captain having been invalided; he performed 
the duties to my entire satisfaction. He kept the ship in a state 
of perfect discipline, cleanliness and readiness for service. He also 
performed the duties of coast-pilot with ability and decision. 

Yours very resp'ly, etc., 

E. Y. McCauley, 

Rear-Admiral, U.S.N. 



1818 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



c. i860 — Robert Wade. 

1864 — William E. Bowen. 

1875 — William H. Woodward. 

1888 — Mary Parrish Starr, wife of Louis Starr, M.D. 

1913 — Susan H. Siter. 

1915 — Annie E. B. Siter, wife of E. Hollingsworth Siter. 



Mr. Robert Wade was of the firm of Wade & Butcher, the 
Sheffield manufacturers of hardware of world-wide repute. 
His daughter, who was born in this house, years afterward 
became the wife of Richard C. Dale, of whom mention will 
be made later. 

William E. Bowen was of the firm of Browns & Bowen, 
bankers, at 209 Chestnut Street as early as 1857; now 
Brown Bros. & Co. at Fourth and Chestnut. After Mr. 
Bowen's death, a son and several daughters occupied the 
house for a series of years; they were held esteemed members 
of the community. One of my earliest recollections is ac- 
companying my father in the sixties to the former address 
to see their manager, Mr. Kirtley, who was the type of an 
English banker (with all the polish and finish so well 
described by Thackeray), to arrange with him for a letter 
of credit which my father was taking out prior to a visit to 
Europe, leaving me as paymaster. 

The oldest son was Ezra Bowen, who lived afterward at 
1629 Walnut Street, the house subsequently changed by 
Frank E. Morgan to the present apothecary establishment, 

(50) 



Past and Present 



Si 




AIRS. ROBERT WADE 
1820- 1899 




ROBERT WADE 
1819- 1887 



5^ 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



which was built by Mr. Bucknell who lived next door on the 
northeast corner of Seventeenth and Walnut; he mentioned 
at his club that he would sell the property for half its cost 
rather than keep it. Mr. Ezra Bowen, sitting nearby, took 
Mr. Bucknell at his word, becoming its owner. 

To return to No. 1818: residents for years were William 
W. Arnett, his sisters and an uncle, William H. Woodward, 
the owner of the property. Miss Harriet Arnett became 



T7"ix>ri Jinuxnixr. 



77:— z-:^77;-.-t: 



I I I I I K E 3fe 

ME I : ii j M 1 1 

Pi, ¥\ If 





BAN K«<OM M E RC E 

iff iff 

Iff Wffi 



W J' I ■»■" 



Browns & Bowen, No. 55 Chestnut Street, in 1851. Now No. 209 Chestnut 

Street 

(From "Experiences of a Century," by courtesy 0/ Brown Brothers & Company) 

the wife of Doctor Levis, who lived on the northwest corner 
of Sixteenth and Walnut Streets, later the home of Dr. 
D. Hayes Agnew. 

In Arnett's day, the agitation arose for the removal of 
the iron railings; a protest was submitted to a Committee 
of Councils; inquiry was made as to the impression left with 
the Committee; its spokesman replied "To hell with the 
ladies — they have no vote." How conditions have changed! 

In the year 1875 William G. Boulton was a resident; he 
was of the firm of John Dallett & Co. 



Past and Present 



S3 




ALEXANDER BROWN AND HIS FOUR SONS 
Alexander Brown, 1764-1834 
George Brown, 1787-1859 Sir William Brown, 1784-1864 

John A. Brown, 1788-1872 James Brown, 1791-1877 

(From "Experiences of a Century," by courtesy of Brown Brothers & Company) 



54 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Dr. Louis Starr was a most successful practitioner with 
young children, and his departure from Philadelphia has 
always been regretted. Dr. Starr and Dr. E. Hollingsworth 
Siter made manv changes in the exterior construction of the 
house. 




Copyright by Moses King 

EZRA BO WEN 
1830- 1901 



1820 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



— Edward S. Sanford. 
1856 — Thomas Hart. 
1870 — Lucius H. Scott and Eliza P. Scott. 

— Lucius S. Landreth. 
1888 — Charles Hacker. 
i8 93 — Sarah Earle Hacker. 
1919 — George W. Norris, M.D. 



Edward S. Sanford was born in Massachusetts and joined 
the New York office of Adams Express Company in 1842. 
A man of strong mental powers, with cultivation and aspi- 
ration, he proved his ability while resident agent in Phila- 
delphia, being regarded as one of the most able of express 
managers and proprietors. 

Thomas Hart became the owner in 1856 and disposed of 
it in 1870, living afterward at 1421 Spruce Street with his 
daughter, Mrs. William B. Van Lennep. Mr. Hart was a 
member of the Philadelphia Club, and his wife was Rebecca 
Anna Reeves, the daughter of David Reeves, of Philadelphia, 
the creator of the Phcenixville Iron Works, giving an in- 
centive to the great industry that has developed in that 
section. His father was also Thomas Hart, an officer in the 
"State in Schuylkill." His great-grandson, the present 
Thomas Hart, has recently completed a record of the Hart 
family covering the years 173 5-1920, which it has been my 
privilege to consult; it is replete with interesting incidents 
of early Philadelphia life. 

Reginald Lawrence Hart was the son of Thomas Hart 
named above. He was a graduate of the Towne Scientific 

(55) 



56 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



School of the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the 
fraternity Delta Psi and stroke of the University crew, 
1879 to 1881. He was a member of the Athletic Association 
of the University and of the Merion and Radnor Cricket 




E. S. SANFORD 



Past and Present 



57 



Clubs. In commercial lite he was the manager in Philadel- 
phia of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S. 

Harrv Reeves Hart was also a son of Thomas Hart. In 
early life he was associated with the noted paper Judge, 




THOMAS HART 
1819- 1893 



58 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

published in New York, and among the first of the illustrated 
humorous weeklies to amuse the millions of America's 
readers. 

Mrs. Eliza Perkins Scott was descended from the 
Hewlings family, a collateral branch of which had married 




Photo bv Gutekunst 

MRS. THOMAS HART 

[Rebecca Anna Reeves] 

1825- 1869 



Past and Present 59 

Bishop White, whose daughter was the wife of Robert 
Morris, in whose honor there is soon to be erected in Phila- 
delphia a statue to mark his important work accomplished 
in the successful financing of the Revolutionary War. 




REGINALD L. HART 

1858- 1917 

(.Courtesy of University of Pennsylvania Class History, 1879) 



6o 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



The present family of Landreths are direct descendants 
of Mrs. Scott. 

Charles Hacker was President of the Charleston, S. C, 
Mining and Manufacturing Company. Our friend Mrs. 




HARRY REEVES HART 
1857- 1910 



Past and Present 



61 



Morris Hacker says that her cousin-in-law, Charles Hacker, 
was deeply interested in the daughter of Samuel G. Goodrich 
(Peter Parley), to whom reference will be made later. 



slsttiii 



*"**w 




MRS. ELIZA PERKINS SCOTT 
1800- 1887 



62 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



The owner and resident is now Dr. George W. Norris, 
whose great-uncle, Mr. Henry Norris, lived upon the Walnut 
Street side of the Square and of whom comment will be 
made when that section is reached. 




Photo by Phillips 



CHARLES HACKER 
1829-1893 



1822 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(24' x 100') 



1855 — Zophar C. Howell. 
i860 — John H. Brown. 
1892 — Alice B. Fox. 



No. 1822 was a vacant piece of ground owned by Zophar C. 
Howell, and was sold about the year i860 to John H. Brown, 
who had come from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia in 1843, 
crossing the mountains by stage coach and canal, frequently 
returning to his birthplace to visit his father, a noted iron- 
master, an interest still continued by his grandsons. 

Mr. Brown was in the wholesale dry goods business at 
307 Market Street, a property held by the family until a 
recent date; he was a director in the Bank of North America 
from 1846 until 1866. 

Mr. Brown was tall and stately in appearance, and the 
books and paintings with which the interior of the house is 
furnished indicate the cultivated tastes he was enabled to 
gratify through years of well-earned leisure. 

Mr. Brown's daughter, Alice, married Dr. Charles W. 
Fox, and they continued to reside here. Dr. Fox was born 
in Nashua, N. H., was a graduate of Harvard and served 
in the 44th Massachusetts Regiment in the Civil War. At 
its close he studied medicine, and although not in active 
practice was deeply interested in the progress of the pro- 
fession as well as in literature and the arts. He died in 1919. 
Mrs. Fox is still a resident. 



(63) 



64 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




JOHN HUSTON BROWN 
1809- 1888 



Past and Present 



65 




Photo by Broadbent 



DR. CHARLES W. FOX 
1843- 1919 



66 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




ZOPHAR CARPENTER HOWELL 

1811 -,1902 

Taken on his ninetieth birthday 



1824 AND 1826 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(36' x 100') 



c. 1855 — Zophar C. Howell. 
1863 — Theodore Cuyler. 
1885 — Emily T. White. 
1888 — Louise B. Drexel. 
1898 — Deborah Tower Janney. 
1907 — Thomas P. Hunter. 



Zophar Carpenter Howell was born in Albany, N. Y. 
His ancestor, William Carpenter, shared with Roger Wil- 
liams in the group of thirteen purchasers of Rhode Island 
and was also one of the founders of the First Baptist Church 
in America. He was a friend of Roger Williams, and was a 
member of the General Court, 1658 to 1672. In 1675 Car- 
penter and his neighbors were attacked in their settlement 
by hundreds of Indians who were finally repulsed; this was 
during King Phillip's War and is mentioned to indicate the 
trials the forefathers experienced and what honor is due 
their memory for their bravery and perseverance. 

The manufacture of wall-paper in America began in the 
year 1790 when two Englishmen, John Howell and his son, 
set up primitive machinery in two rooms in the rear of their 
home in Albany, N. Y., and from this has developed an 
important industry having a far-reaching effect. 

Nos. 1826, 1828 and 1830 were three houses built at the 
same time by Zophar C. Howell, the manufacturer of wall- 
paper referred to, whose mill was around the corner below 
Spruce above Nineteenth; he occupied No. 1826. 

Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale lived in Boston, engaged in 
literary and editorial work, the Ladies' Magazine being under 

(67) 



68 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



her charge until it was merged with Godey's Lady's Book. 
Her removal to Philadelphia followed, and she resided at 
No. 1826 South Rittenhouse Square in the early sixties. 
Her daughter, Miss Sarah Josepha Hale, conducted here an 




MRS. ZOPHAR C. HOWELL 

[Rebecca Louton] 

1816- 1870 



excellent school for young ladies, being the precursor of 
many that have given Philadelphia high repute as an edu- 
cational center. 

The Hales are descended from pre-Revolutionary stock, 
and are related to the Reverend Edward Everett Hale, who 



Past and Present 



69 



is well remembered by his epoch-making narrative, "The 
Man without a Country," published at the opening of the 
Civil War. I can remember its stimulus to patriotism 
shared by millions of Americans, another evidence that the 
"Pen is mightier than the Sword." 




FRANCIS CARPENTER HOWELL 
1839- 1878 

{Photo by Chandler & Scheetz, 8B8 Arch St., Philadelphia) 

To return to our adopted citizen: Mrs. Sarah Josepha 
Hale was noted as a poet and writer. Concerning her early 
book, Poems for Our Children, she writes: "The poems in 
the little book were written to be set to music for the 
primary schools of Boston and my design in writing was the 
allegory that should teach and move the heart of childhood 



7 o 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



to love whatever things were good and pure and lovely that 
came within its circle of observation or care in life"; and 
again, "Children who love their parents and their home can 
soon teach their hearts to love their God and their Country." 
There are but three copies of Mrs. Hale's book extant; 
in the one now in the possession of Mary Stockton Hunter 
and Sarah Hale Hunter, granddaughters, there appears the 




MRS. SARAH JOSEPHA HALE 
1788- 1879 

{After an engraving of a portrait by T. Buchanan Read, painted about 1855) 

well-known ditty, "Mary's Lamb," which begins — "Mary 
had a little lamb; its fleece was white as snow." The 
Misses Hunter also have the original manuscript with 
many letters and autographs that are interesting and 
valuable. 

Mrs. Hale was the president of the Philadelphia branch 
of the Woman's Union Missionary Society, and it is recorded 



Past and Present 



7i 



that "she was the first woman who labored to rouse the 
church to send the educated woman physician to bear the 
blessings of health to heathen women." 




MRS. SARAH JOSEPHA HALE 

1788- 1879 

In her ninetieth year 

(Engraving by J. C. Bultre from photograph by Suddards & Fennemore, Philadelphia) 

This letter is an indication of the period: 

Phila., May 3, 1861. 
From Miss Sarah Josepha Hale to her friend in Princeton. 

You see mother has stopped taking the Herald. She says 
she can see lies enough without paying for them; consequently 



7 2 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



the Ledger is all we have to depend on, so I thought if you would 
send me the Tribune now and then I could get along; my school 
is becoming fine by degrees ... so I do not by any means think 
of giving up any more than Lincoln does. 




MISS SARAH JOSEPHA HALE 
1820- 1863 

The southern scholars were leaving on account of the 
impending civil war. 

Mrs. Hale's son was Horatio Hale, a graduate of Harvard, 
where he was distinguished for his ready acquisition of lan- 
guages, and while an undergraduate was chosen to fill the 
post of philologist to the United States Exploring Expedition 



Past and Present 73 

commanded by Captain Wilkes, which discovered the Ant- 
arctic Continent and explored many islands and coasts, 
completing a four years' voyage round the world. 

This was the Captain Wilkes who removed Mason and 
Slidell, Confederate emissaries, from the British steamer 
"Trent" in 1861, an act that was widely applauded in the 
North, but could not be maintained under international law. 

A reference to Miss Lucretia Hale, of a collateral branch, 
and author of the Peterkin Papers, may be acceptable, so I 
quote from an address on "The Development of the Park- 
way," delivered before the Fairmount Park Art Association 
by Sylvester Baxter, secretary of the Preliminary Metro- 
politan Park Commission (1892-93) and of the recent Metro- 
politan Improvement Commission (1907-09) for Greater 
Boston : 

Philadelphia, January 11, 1910. 

In our part of the world we have grown to have great faith in 
the advice of a certain "Lady from Philadelphia" — a faith firmly 
established by our dear Miss Lucretia Hale, of blessed memory. 
It was very level-headed advice which the "Lady from Philadel- 
phia" gave to the Peterkin family, and it got them out of a multi- 
plicity of troubles. Since the Peterkins invariably sent for the 
"Lady from Philadelphia," perhaps it is no more than fair that 
there should be a certain reciprocity, that accordingly you should 
now and then send for a Man from Boston — although none of us 
can hope to be of the service to Philadelphia and to all the world 
that was performed by the great Bostonian who came hither with- 
out being sent for and achieved enduring fame in consequence. 

Several women envious of the reputation achieved by 
the "Lady from Philadelphia" have claimed to be the orig- 
inal, but the question has been definitely and satisfactorily 
settled by an investigation through Mr. John Ashhurst, 
librarian of the Free Library of Philadelphia. 

The original is Susan, wife of J. Peter Lesley, our eminent 
geologist. Charles Hale was our consul-general at Cairo, 
Egypt, in the year 1867, and Lucretia Hale, his sister, was 



74 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



a lifelong friend of Mrs. Lesley; they traveled together when 
in Europe, thus cementing a friendship of long standing. 

Mrs. Hale was identified with the Ladies' Magazine and 
Godey's Lady's Book for forty years, during which period 




THEODORE ) CUYLER 
1821-1876 



she conducted an active correspondence with the several 
Presidents at Washington and with the Governors of the 
States and Territories, urging a united and uniform adop- 
tion of the Thanksgiving Day, an effort that was crowned 
with success during the administration of Abraham Lincoln. 



Past and Present 



75 



Frances, the daughter of Mrs. Hale, married Dr. Lewis 
Boudinot Hunter, U. S. Navy, and their son was Richard 
Stockton Hunter of our day, prominent at the Bar and a 
welcome friend in the home and club. 




MRS. THEODORE CUYLER 
1829- 1892 

No. 1826 was acquired in the year 1863 by Theodore 
Cuyler, who afterward built an extension on a vacant piece 
of ground to the east, making his house an attractive and 
commodious residence. Mr. Cuyler is well remembered as 
a distinguished member of the Bar, a man of great talent 
and of general acquirement. He was the first president of 



76 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

the Social Art Club, which occupied a spacious house on the 
north side of Chestnut Street near Sixteenth, and is now 
domiciled on Walnut Street, opposite our Square; the name 
having been changed to the Rittenhouse Club. 

Mr. Cuyler was a member for some time of the Phila- 
delphia City Council, one of his notable achievements being 
the adoption of the present system of numbering houses, 
which previous to that time had been so numbered as to 
cause great confusion. The new system has become a 
standard for many cities the world over. He was eminent 
as the counsel of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was a member 
of the Board of Education, President of Select Council, a 
member of the Constitutional Convention of 1873, and one 
of the commissioners of Fairmount Park. In commenting 
upon his qualities, a friend stated: "As a speaker, he was 
correct, persuasive and impressive." Mr. Cuyler's neighbor, 
of whom mention will be made, frequently heard his voice 
resounding through the walls of the adjoining house when 
he was reciting a formal address, the effect of which he desired 
to practice prior to its final delivery. 

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin of July 23, 1921, 
commenting upon the proposed revision of the constitution 
of the State of Pennsylvania, refers to Mr. Cuyler as follows: 

In tracing the influences which led to the formulation of many 
of the vital principles now embodied in the organic law of the 
State, one cannot fail to recognize the handiwork of Theodore 
Cuyler, whose long and varied professional career was identified 
with scores of important cases, including many a cause celebre in 
both the local and federal courts. Among these were the cele- 
brated Christiana treason case, in which Castner Hanway and 
thirty-one residents of Lancaster County were charged with refusal 
to aid a deputy marshal in capturing two fugitive slaves who had 
escaped from Maryland, and the trial of Henry Hertz, indicted for 
enlisting soldiers in Philadelphia to serve in the British Army 
during the Crimean war. It was in great corporation cases, and 
principally as counsel for the Pennsylvania Railroad, however, 
that Mr. Cuyler achieved his lasting legal reputation, and his 



Past and Present 77 

eloquence in forensic appeal was matched by the lucidity with 
which he analyzed abstruse technicalities. In the midst of his 
professional activities, he yet found time for public service, the 
public schools, City Councils and the Fairmount Park Commission, 
of which he was one of the original members, claiming his atten- 
tion during the height of his career. 

The most noted of Mr. Cuyler's family is the present 
Thomas De Witt Cuyler, now president of the Rittenhouse 
Club, and a factor in legal and railroad administrative work. 
Some of Mr. Cuyler's contemporaries remember him as 
prominent in the many stone fights indulged in when groups 
of our boys were attacked by ragamuffins, now termed 
"hoodlums," who frequently descended upon our neigh- 
borhood, being recruited from the river-front, noted in 
those days for its Schuylkill Rangers. 

Floyd Hall White was a great-great-grandson of William 
Floyd, a delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer 
of the Declaration. of Independence. He was a member of 
the Sons of the Revolution. He received his education at 
the Nyack, N. Y., Military Academy and at an early age 
entered the wholesale dry goods house of Atwood, White 
& Co., of which firm his father was a member. Then he 
became secretary and treasurer of the Camden & Amboy 
Railroad Company, and later assistant secretary to the 
Pennsylvania Railroad Company division when the latter 
assumed control. On his return from a European trip he 
accepted the position of secretary-treasurer of the American 
Dredging Co. 

In 1888 General Morrell, who had married Miss Louise 
B. Drexel, became a resident and remained for a number of 
years. Brigadier General Edward de V. Morrell was born 
in Newport, R. I., and filled a large place in Philadelphia's 
life, being identified with the National Guard of Pennsyl- 
vania as colonel of the Third Regiment and later Inspector- 
General and Judge-Advocate General. I quote from General 
Orders issued by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, 
September 1, 1917, the day of his death: 



7§ 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



General Morrell rendered valued and conspicuous service in 
both military and civil life. As a soldier he had high ideals and 
was a thorough yet tactful disciplinarian, respected alike both by 
superiors and subordinates. He was an ideal leader of men and 
enjoyed the fullest confidence of all with whom he came in contact. 




Photo on Phillips 



FLOYD H. WHITE 
1843- 1893 



His boundless energy, unfailing courtesy, and strict devotion to 
duty were both an example and an inspiration. 

He held many positions of honor, trust and responsibility in 
the civic affairs of the Nation and State, and brought to each 
place an earnest, faithful, conscientious performance of duty. 



Past and Present 



79 



General Morrell was a graduate of the University of 
Pennsylvania and was admitted to the Bar in 1887. For 
several years he served as a member of Select Council, later 
being a member of the 56th, 57th, 58th and 59th Congresses. 




opyright by Moses King 

EDWARD de V. MORRELL 
1863- 1917 



He was a member of the Philadelphia Board of Education 
for several years and a director ot the Pennsvlvama Com- 
pany for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities. 

General Morrell married Louise Bouvier, daughter ot 
Francis A. Drexel. Thev were an important factor in the 



8o RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

social life of the city. He was a step-son of the late John 
G. Johnson, leader of the Philadelphia Bar, whose unrivaled 
collection of works-of-art is one of the greatest acquisitions 
Philadelphia has received through his generous bequest to 
the municipality. His mother was a sister of Robert Hare 
Powel, of whom mention will be made later. 




Photo by Evans 

THOMAS P. HUNTER 
1861 - 1915 



General Morrell was a member of many clubs, of which 
may be noted the Philadelphia; Rittenhouse; Racquet; 
Rose-Tree; Fox Hunt; Radnor Hunt; Rabbit; State in 
Schuylkill; Philadelphia Country; Corinthian Yacht; 



Past and Present 8i 

The Union League; Germantown Cricket; St. Anthony; 
and 'the Society of Colonial Wars. 

Thomas P. Hunter was a native of Ireland and came 
to America to seek his fortune, which he accomplished 
when reaching the presidency of the Acme Tea Company. 




Copyright by Moses King 
Robert Miller Janney residence, 1826 South Rittenhouse Square 

Mr. Hunter was a lover of animals and flowers and took 
delight in gratifying this taste on his estate at Haverford 
and took many prizes at dog and pigeon shows, as also 
when he exhibited at flower displays. 

Robert Miller Janney was here in the year 1898. 

This property has just been acquired by George H. 
Earle, Jr., who, it is stated, will use it as his city residence. 



1828 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



c. 185 1 — Joshua Tevis. 
1856 — Henry Cohen. 
1S95 — Ernest Laplace, M.D. 



My father, Henry Cohen, lived on Rittenhouse Square 
for nearly thirty years, and perhaps a few words of his per- 
sonality may be permitted. 




Photo fiy (lulfkunal 

HENRY COHEN 
1810- 1879 



His grandfather, Joseph Cohen, came to America in 
1792, settling in Lancaster, Pa., later in Charleston, S. C, 
and in Philadelphia; he was a linguist and served as House- 

(82) 



Past and Present 



§3 



hold Rabbi in the homes of the Gratz family. Returning 
to London, his wife having died here, he re-married and 
Solomon Cohen and Henry Cohen were my grandfather 
and father, the latter coming to Philadelphia in 1837, open- 





AIRS. HEXRY COHEN 
I.Matilda Samuel, Liverpool, 1843] 
1 820- 1888 
<itvr> by Thomas Hargreaves, Associate of Sir Thomas Lawrence) 



ing an establishment for the sale of imported stationery at 
wholesale on Chestnut Street below Fourth. 

In 1844, visiting Europe, he met my mother, Miss 
Matilda Samuel, of Liverpool, whom he married and brought 



84 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



to Philadelphia. Their first home was at the Washington 
Hotel, situate on the north side of Chestnut Street above 
Seventh, subsequently taking the house No. 2 Clinton 
Square, on the south side of Chestnut Street, the second door 
above Broad, the site of the present Land Title & Trust Com- 
pany, and it was there that I was born. Astonishment was 
expressed by my father's friends that a residence should 
be selected so far west, since the heart of the residential 




Southwest corner of Broad and Chestnut Streets. Second door above Broad 

Birthplace of Charles J. Cohen, now the site of the Land Title & Trust 

Company's building 

section was on Fourth and Sixth Streets; however, the new 
situation was open ground and the location was considered 
eligible. In those days there were freight tracks in the 
center of Broad Street, and shortly after the family's 
occupancy there was a crash of coal cars nearby which 
caused the collapse of all the shelving in the butler's pantry, 
resulting in the loss of the splendid sets of Copeland china 
that my mother had brought with her, so that a change 
was desired, and in 1851 the family, consisting of my 
parents, my older sister and myself, moved to No. 15 (now 
No. 1828) South Rittenhouse Square. 

After some time, the house was sold without my father's 
knowledge to Joshua Tevis, and as the adjoining one on 



Past and Present 



85 



the west, No. 16, was for rent, we moved therein. In 
1856 Tevis died, my father bought No. 15, into which we 
moved, using long boards stretched across the windows of 




Pholo by Gutekunst 



MRS. HENRY COHEN 

In 1876 

1820- 1888 



the back buddings on the different stories, placing the 
household articles in large baskets with rope attached 
which were drawn across, emptied and returned, an expedi- 
tious method of removal. 



86 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

At the time of the Civil War, Henry Cohen had passed 
his fiftieth year and was not available for active service in 
the field, but he was an earnest supporter of the Federal 
cause, an early member of The Union League, and at all 



-., ■-.— -,- , - c A.WUBORN.P.tt 




APPROACHING! 

DEFElE»™SfATE! 

CALLED, Tl, MILITIA 

the "term of service will only be while the danger to the State 
is im minent. • „ . — 

^Send forward Companies 

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 

S ^AMDREWG.CURTIN. 



I I M I I'K-i l'"K I UK f)H N. I 
> I \ 1 !■, II M , [Sl.i 



Placard Issued by Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, Calling for Volunteers 
for the Defence of the State, June, 1863 

times a contributor to the many funds raised for the benefit 
of the Army and Navy. 

At the time of the crisis preceding the battle of Gettys- 
burg, as a member of the Blue Reserves Home Guard he 
participated in the erection of the fortifications thrown up 



Past and Present 



87 



on the northern and western sections of the City as the 
Confederate approach became imminent. 

After my father's death in 1888 the house was rented for 
a few years and finally sold to Dr. Ernest Laplace, a dis- 
tinguished member of the medical profession. 




Copyright by Moses King 

JOSEPH HENRY 
1797- 1878 

Of men noted in literature who visited our home I recall 
Joseph Henry, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 
the middle fifties; he was a scientist of distinction; his 
papers on electricity and magnetism commanded wide 
attention and he "did more toward the development of the 



88 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

science of electricity than any other American since the 
time of Franklin. He was the inventor of the principle of 
telegraph relay which made possible telegraphy over con- 




c-xA^o^ (( Uj 



S. G. GOODRICH 

"Peter Parley" 

1793- 1860 

{From an engraving by Bannister of a daguerreotype) 

siderable distances. Also originator of the principle of the 
telegraph, while Morse invented the instrument first used 
for this purpose." 1 

1 New International Encyclopaedia. 



Past and Present 89 

Samuel G. Goodrich was the "Peter Parley" of the 
juvenile books of our childhood; they attained great popular- 
ity, being amusing as well as instructive. After his visit my 
father remarked, "Charles, my boy, you must never forget 
that you have sat upon the knee of the man who has con- 
tributed to the happiness of many thousands of the youth 
of our country and whose memory should always be held in 
grateful appreciation." 

It should be stated further that Goodrich was the author 
of many books of history and geography as well as tales of 
ancient and modern life — in all more than 170 volumes, of 
which over seven million copies have been sold, and in the 
middle fifties their aggregate sale was three hundred thou- 
sand copies annually. Goodrich was U. S. Consul in Pans, 
1848-52. Some of his books were translated into French 
and were well received. 



go 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




SOLOMON W. ROBERTS 
1811 - 1882 



1830 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 100') 



— Zophar C. Howell. 
1856 — Solomon W. Roberts. 
1883 — Anna D. Scott. 
1913 — Samuel P. Wetherill. 
1921 — Allied Realty Co., Inc. 



Solomon W. Roberts was engineer-in-chief and superin- 
tendent of the North Penn Railroad, and was possessed of 
an extensive and valuable library. In early years he had 
been engaged as civil engineer in the construction of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad. Of Welsh origin, it is of interest 
to note that more than a majority of the signers of the 
Declaration of Independence were of Welsh birth or of 
immediate descent. 

His daughter, Mrs. John W. Roberts, my neighbor, has 
a fine replica by Thomas Sully of the portrait of the late 
Queen Victoria painted for the St. George's Society of 
Philadelphia. 

His wife was the daughter of Ellwood Shannon, noted 
dealer in teas, who had been my father's fellow-passenger 
from Europe in the early thirties.' 

After Mr. Roberts' death the house was rented to Mr. 
Percy M. Lewis, son of Edwin M. Lewis, president of the 
Farmers and Mechanics National Bank, a power in the 
financial world in those days. 



1 Mrs. Roberts was born in Carlisle, England, and had a most attractive 
personality. 

(91) 



9^ 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




Photo by WUlard 

MRS. SOLOMON W. ROBERTS 

[Jane Ellwood Shannon] 

1834- 1869 



1832-1834 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(50' x 100') 



— Robert Smith. 
1867 — Thomas A. Scott. 
1913 — Samuel P. Wetherill. 
1921 — Allied Realty Co., Inc. 



Robert Smith, brewer of Smith's ale; a successful business 
man but not conservative in his investments. Alighting 
from a Walnut Street car at Eighteenth, he, my father 




Robert Smith's Brewery, northwest corner Fifth and Minor Streets [now 

Ludlow Street] in 1871 

{Sketched by Kennedy. Courtesy of Historical Society of Pennsylvania) 

and I walked through Rittenhouse Square in the sixties, 
and the burden of his conversation was to the effect that my 
father was making a mistake in following the details of a 

(93) 



94 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

commercial enterprise when money could be invested in 
Dalzell Oil Company, the shares then at a moderate price, 
and in the course of a few months would advance to an 
unprecedented figure, since there was an inexhaustible 
supply of oil in active demand, and a certain fortune was 




CHARLES GIBBONS, 1814- 1884 

beyond peradventure. The next day my father purchased 
ioo shares at the market price, soon it advanced a fraction, 
and, under the family advice, he sold at a point to cover the 
two commissions; within a year, the Oil Company collapsed 
and Robert Smith was a great loser, as a result of his own 
sanguine belief in the success of the investment. 



Past and Present 



95 



This house was subsequently occupied by Charles 
Gibbons, Sr., a member of the Bar, and prominent in the 
affairs of The Union League. At the celebration at Inde- 
pendence Hall of the victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, 
July 7, 1863, he delivered a patriotic address which stirred 




• MRS. CHARLES GIBBONS, 1814-1884 

unbounded enthusiasm; a band of music had been stationed 
in the steeple which gave "Old Hundredth," the enormous 
crowd joining in singing, producing a most impressive effect. 
Mr. Gibbons was also a prominent member of the Committee 
of the Bar to receive contributions for the support of the 
families of volunteers. 



9 6 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Adjoining on the west, which would be No. 1834, in the 
earlv days, was an ice-cream saloon which was removed and 
a stable erected in its place; the neighbors, however, 
objected, citing a clause in the original grant of land that 



""f&Sefe 




Photo by Phillips 

COL. THOMAS A. SCOTT, 1824-1881 
President Pennsylvania Railroad Co. 1874-80 

such was prohibited. The stable was removed and Col. 
Thomas A. Scott, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company, acquiring the properties, erected a handsome 
dwelling thereon, later enlarged by the purchase of No. 1830. 
Mr. Scott was born in Franklin County, Pa., and was edu- 



Past and Present 



97 



cated in the country school, although he obtained assistance 
from friendly students in Franklin and Marshall College. 

As a youth he took a clerkship in the office of the collector 
of tolls at Columbia, Pa., then, coming to Philadelphia, 
occupied positions in several shipping houses, finally entering 
the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he soon 
displayed exceptional ability which the management early 
recognized, and he became general superintendent. It was 




Copyright by A/asp* King 

Thomas Alexander Scott residence, 1S30 South Rittenhouse Square, corner 

Nineteenth Street 

at this time that the company purchased the road from the 
State for 13 millions of dollars to be repaid in annual instal- 
ments. Then the Civil War followed, and Scott was called 
to Washington to become Assistant Secretary of War with 
rank of colonel of volunteers. Chaos that had existed was 
soon dispelled under his master hand and the Government 
recognized his powerful aid at that critical time in a most 
appreciative manner. 

In 1874 Scott succeeded John Edgar Thomson as presi- 
dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which position he held 



98 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

until failing health in 1880 compelled his retirement. He 
was also president of the Texas & Pacific Railway, being 
finally succeeded by Jay Gould, who paid a large money 
consideration for Scott's interests in the company. 

Some of us remember the critical period of the panic of 
1873, when "five or seven name paper" for millions was out- 
standing in connection with the last-named company, but 
Scott, confident of its ultimate success, weathered the storm. 

When the Union Pacific Railroad was in trouble, upon 
earnest solicitation he became its head, and by indefatigable 
labor confidence was restored and prosperity assured. 

There is an incident that may be stated: At this time, 
when Col. Scott was mentally distressed as to the outcome 
of his financial engagements, a friend from out of town 
entered his office and placed on the table a package, saying, 
"Col. Scott, you and I have been friends for many years; 
if the contents of this package are going to be of service to 
you in the present emergency, use them to the best advan- 
tage as your judgment may indicate, and when the crisis is 
over you can return the package to me." The friend left 
and when Col. Scott opened the bundle it was found to 
contain over a million dollars in gilt-edge securities, a true 
evidence of friendship. This was a potent factor in Scott's 
rehabilitation. 

Within the decade just closed, these three properties, 
1830-32-34, have been purchased by Samuel Price Wetherill, 
and the apartment building known as No. 1830 has been 
erected in their stead. 

On the east side of Nineteenth, just south of Ann Street 
(now Manning), extending toward Spruce, there was erected 
a saw-mill in the decade of the sixties. This caused a flutter 
among the neighbors on account of the danger to life 
and property from such a hazardous establishment, to which 
was added a prohibitive fire-insurance rate. The land was 
purchased, the saw-mill removed and substantial residences 
erected. 

On the northeast corner of Nineteenth and Spruce an 
attractive double-front brick dwelling was built where lived 



Past and Present 



99 



Honorable Morton McMichael, a fellow-citizen famous as 
an orator and editor from his early manhood. During the 
period of the Civil War he devoted his energy and ability 
through the columns of The North American and United 
States Gazette, of which he was the owner and editor, to the 
earnest support of the cause of the Union; this journal was 
a potent factor, being widely read by business men and 
considered an authority on all public questions. Then we 
shall always acknowledge our debt of gratitude for his 




HON. MORTON McMICHAEL, 1807 - 1879 

powerful interest in the improvement and development of 
the people's great pleasure ground, he having served as 
president of the Park Commission 1867-79. He was mayor 
of Philadelphia 1865-69, bringing to the duties of the office 
consummate skill in adding to the City's attractions and 
governing the various departments with dignity and success. 
Other positions of honor were conferred, so that it may be 
said that he was, indeed, a most notable citizen. The only 
surviving son is Hon. Charles B. McMichael, president 
Court of Common Pleas, who has inherited his father's love 
of literature and has recently indited a deeply interesting 
chapter of early memories of his honored father's career. 



SOUTHWEST CORNER NINETEENTH STREET AND 

RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

1900-1902 South Rittenhouse Square 

(42' x 95') 



1852 — Francis M. Drexel. 
1870 — John D. Lankenau. 

1902 — Thomas B. Wanamaker and Mary Lowber Wana- 
maker, later Mary Lowber Thomson. 



Francis M. Drexel, founder of the banking firm of Drexel 
& Company. The house at that time had its front entrance 
on the south side of Rittenhouse Square. Mr. Drexel was 
an artist and traveled extensively, especially in South 
America, where he received many commissions for portraits 
of the distinguished men of the period. Returning to 
Philadelphia he realized the advantage to be derived from 
embarking in banking and was successful beyond anticipa- 
tion. The firm attained great repute, ably supported by 
his sons and successors. 1 

Mr. Drexel lost his life bv alighting at Nineteenth Street 
from a train on the Reading Railroad, which in those days 
came through Callowhill and Willow Streets, drawn bv 
horses, and in stepping off with his bag he lost his footing 
and was crushed under the train. 

His sons, Francis A. and Anthony J., who composed the 
banking firm in the sixties and seventies, lived with their 
father for a number of years until they acquired separate 
homes. 

1 For portions of this account I am indebted to the privilege of consulting 
the volume entitled Historic Families of America, edited by Walter W. 
Spooner. 

(100) 



Past and Present ioi 

Francis A. Drexel, although the elder of the two brothers, 
was of a modest, retiring disposition and invariably referred 
to his brother Anthony as the directing head of the firm. 

Frank, as he was called by his associates, had hosts of 
friends who enjoyed his hospitality and admired his unob- 
trusive gifts to many charities, embracing hospitals and 
homes, and especially to individual pensioners numbered 




FRANCIS M. DREXEL 
1792- 1863 

by scores — men and women who had been reduced from 
affluence to the need of assistance that should not meet the 
public gaze. 

Anthony Joseph Drexel's business career was begun at 
the age of thirteen in the banking house of his father, and 
with the parent Drexel firm in Philadelphia his whole active 
life was identified. It was essentially due to him that the 
world-wide extension of the Drexel interests was attained; 



102 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



the history of the banking business of which he was the head 
was the history of his life. 

The distinguishing aspect of the business of the Drexels 
was the volume of the resources and their constant utiliza- 
tion for purposes of a public or semi-public nature. In each 
of the several departments of national, state and municipal 
loans and financial services to railway and similar great 




Copyright by Motes King 

FRANCIS A. DREXEL 
1824- 1885 

corporations, the Drexel transactions have aggregated many 
hundreds of millions of dollars. 

From the memorial address bv Bishop Potter: 

Mr. Drexel was distinguished above all by a moral nobleness 
in business, a kind of financial statesmanship touched with the 
finest sensibility and lifted to the most exalted conception of great 
responsibility and opportunities. There is no test of character at 
once so searching and so final as the possession, in whatever kind, 



Past and Present 103 

of great power. He was a man who, holding a great power, wielded 
it for the greatest good ; who held up the weak, sustained the public 
credit, befriended tottering fortunes and enterprises, and all this 
in a fashion of such modest and unobtrusive naturalness that we 
who saw him or knew of his doings never saw how great they were 
until he himself was taken away and we beheld them in their true 
light. 

From the 50th anniversary volume of the Fairmount 
Park Art Association: 

In his private beneficences, Mr. Drexel was one of the most 
liberal men of his time, his benefactions being extended to churches 
of all denominations and to every hospital, dispensary, home and 
benevolent organization in Philadelphia, as well as to countless 
individuals. He was one of the earliest and most generous con- 
tributors to the University of Pennsylvania in its recent develop- 
ment. In conjunction with his friend George W. Childs, he estab- 
lished the Childs-Drexel Home for aged printers at Colorado 
Springs, Colo. 

The Drexel Institute of Philadelphia was founded and endowed 
by him and he had the satisfaction of seeing this great institution 
in full operation before his death, an example worthy to be followed 
by philanthropists throughout the land. In addition to the cost 
of the building, equipment, library and endowment, amounting to 
two million dollars, he bequeathed to the Institute an additional 
one million dollars. To the organization of its fundamental plan 
and to the details of its administration, he devoted a most con- 
scientious care, aiming to make it a factor for the practical encour- 
agement of art, science and industry. His chief motive was a 
deep sympathy for young people who are obliged to make their 
own way in the world, and all the courses of instruction were 
formulated with this end in view, at the same time seeking to 
avoid tendencies which might make them dependents. He occu- 
pied the position of president of the Board of Managers of the 
Drexel Institute until his death. 

The private life of Mr. Drexel was characterized by qualities 
of honorable, sincere and noble manhood. His personal friends 
were the notable men of the time. Unassuming and modest, he 



104 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 





r.~«&- <: 



A. J. DREXEL 
1826- 1893 



Past and Present 



105 



avoided all public prominence, having declined the office of 
Secretary of the Treasury tendered by the President of the United 
States. Inheriting the artistic development and tastes of his 
father, he was an enthusiastic collector of objects of art, of which 




JOHN D. LANKENAU 
1817- 1901 

his possessions ranked among the best selected and most valuable 
in the country. 

At the time of the foundation of the Fairmount Park Art 
Association in the year 1871, a committee, being assured of his 
interest in art and in the welfare of his native city, tendered him 
the presidency; he accepted the honor, considering it a distinction, 



io6 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



and retained the office until his death, presiding at the meetings 
of the Board of Trustees and always willing to give time and 
attention to the man}- problems, financial and otherwise, that 
confronted the management in the early years of its career. In 
fact it is recognized that the formation and additions to the 
Permanent Fund were made possible by the knowledge that his 
guiding hand would ensure stability to the investments. 




FRANK LAXKENAU 



It is believed that the presidency of this Association (save only 
the Drexel Institute) was the only executive position that he con- 
sented to accept. 

After the senior Mr. Drexel's death, Mr. John D. Lank- 
enau, then living at No. 1 804, who had married a daughter 
of the senior Drexel, moved to the house described, and later 
improved its appearance both in and out. Mr. Lankenau is 
well known as a patron of the German Hospital (now known 
as the Lankenau Hospital), a splendid institution, which has 



Past and Present 



107 



assumed the name of its chief benefactor. His only son 
Frank died when a youth. 

Following Mr. Lankenau's death, the property was 
finally |acquired by the late Thomas B. Wanamaker, who 
had it 'entirely reconstructed under the guidance of McKim, 




THOMAS B. WANAMAKER 
1861- 1908 

Mead & White. 1 The interior of the building has been 
splendidly arranged and decorated and it is hoped some day 
it may become the home of a Maecenas or of an organization 
that would appreciate its attractive surroundings. 

1 Mr. Wanamaker's widow subsequently married Dr. Archibald G. Thom- 
son, a son of Dr. William Thomson, a noted ophthalmologist and a brother 
of Frank Thomson, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Dr. William 
Thomson's wife was Rebecca George, of the family to whom Philadelphia is 
indebted for the acquirement of George's Hill in Fairmount Park. 



io8 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Thomas B. Wanamaker was the son of Hon. 'John Wan- 
amaker and was associated with his father in the successful 
conduct of the establishment of worldwide reputation. He 
was an alumnus of Princeton class of 1883. His wife was 




Photo by (lulckvn*/ 



WILLIAM BARTON HOPKINS, 

1853- 1904 



M.D. 



Mary Lowber Welsh, daughter of the late Samuel Welsh 
and niece of the Hon. John Welsh. Mr. Wanamaker was 
a trustee of both the Jefferson and Presbyterian Hospitals. 
As the owner of The North American, a daily journal, he had 
an important influence in the community. 



1904 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 95') 



1856 — Fanny M. Taylor. 

1878 — Cornelia Taylor. 

1889 — William Barton Hopkins. 



Dr. William Barton Hopkins had married the widow of 
Alexander McKim, of Baltimore. Dr. Hopkins was the 
grandson of Dr. Samuel Hopkins and grand-nephew of Dr. 
John Rhea Barton. He was surgeon to several hospitals 
and published many valuable articles, his book on fractures 
being widely read. 

Later Dr. and Mrs. Roman were residents. 



1906 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 95') 



1856 — Charlotte S. Engles. 
1888 — Mary W. Schott. 



Miss Mary W. Schott has lived here for twenty years. Her 
father, William Schott, was a manufacturing chemist at 
4.0 Market Street sixty years ago; he lived at 1522 Walnut 
Street in the early sixties. 

Miss Schott is an ardent member of Holy Trinity Church 
and actively engaged in many good works of charity and 
uplift. 

(109) 



1903 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 95') 



1866 — John E. Gould. 
1871 — Peter Munzinger. 
1889 — Mary J. Hopkins. 



John Edgar Gould was a musician of note, as also a mer- 
chant, since he had an establishment for the sale of pianos 
and organs at the southeast corner of Seventh and Chestnut 
Streets and later at 923 Chestnut Street when the firm was 
Gould & Fischer. Mr. Gould was a composer of sacred 
music for men's voices, collections that have been used by 
the Orpheus and other male organizations; he was also an 
organist of ability, having served the Presbyterian congre- 
gation at Seventeenth and Spruce Streets for some years. 

At the store at Seventh and Chestnut it was the custom to 
have weekly gatherings for the rehearsal of glees; notable 
at these were Michael Cross, Aaron Taylor, Decatur Smith 
and Dr. H. Clarke. Gould went abroad on account of 
failing health and died in Algeria. 

Miss Letitia McKim was a noteworthy resident here, 
having served during the recent war at Soissons in French 
hospital work. 

Mr. and Mrs. George W. Edwards are the present 
tenants. 



(110) 



1910 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(20' x 95') 



— A. Larue Vansant. 
1S64 — John R. Neff. 
1893 — Mary Irwin Agnew. 
1916 — Charles S. Wesley. 



Abraham Larue Vansant was the owner and lived here 
for many years. His ancestors came from Holland in 165 1, 
settling in New Amsterdam, later migrating to Bucks 
County, Pa. He is remembered as an active supporter of 
the Union during the Civil War, a liberal contributor to 
various institutions, and was president of the Board of 
Trustees of the Alexander Presbyterian Church. 

His trotting teams were well known in Fairmount Park. 

For years he had a prominent establishment of fine 
fruits at the southeast corner of Tenth and Chestnut Streets 
and later at Ninth and Chestnut Streets under the Conti- 
nental Hotel, a place recalled by the older members of the 
present generation. 

His son, the present Dr. E. L. Vansant, eminent as a 
throat specialist, is an officer in the order of the Founders 
and Patriots of America and prominently identified with 
the West Walnut Street Presbyterian Church. 

As early as 1858 L. Montgomery Bond lived here. I 
remember him as a man of delightful manners and with 
cultivated tastes. He was active in the affairs of Holy 
Trinity Church, being a member of the committee of five 
in the year 1855 to organize the new congregation, to select 
the site and to arrange for the erection. From 1864 Mr. and 

(111) 



112 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Mrs. John R. Neff, Jr., owned and occupied this house for 
years. Mr. Neff's father was president of The Philadelphia 
Saving Fund Society, and his son, the present Jonathan C. 
Neff, is vice-president of the Fidelity Trust Company. 
Mrs. Neff was the daughter of Judge Cilley, of Savannah. 




Photo by Draper A Busted 

A. LARUE VANSANT 
1820- 1894 



Past and Present 



"3 



In the house was a fine library and on the upper floor a 
workshop, thus providing occupation for both mind and 
body. Mr. Neff was a member of the Philadelphia Club, 
the City Troop, Sons of the Revolution, and many other 
organizations. 




MRS. A. L. VANSANT 
1836- 1872 



114 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

A later owner has put on a new stone front, making an 
attractive exterior. 

Mrs. Mary Irwin Agnew was the wife of Dr. Erwin 
Agnew, a cousin of Dr. D. Hayes Agnew, so well remembered 
as a distinguished surgeon who added celebrity to the fame 




Photo by Gilbert & Bacon 

MRS. JOHN R. NEFF, Jr. 

[Josephine Maria Cilley] 

1832- 1909 



Past and Present 



ii5 



of Philadelphia for its repute as a center of knowledge in 
the sciences as to both theory and practice. 

Mrs. Agnew is spoken of by those who were her intimates 
as the "old-time wife, mother and home-maker, with a rare 
devotion to many charities done in a quiet but effectual 
manner." 




Photo by Dunshee 



JOHN R. NEFF, Jr. 
1828- 1903 



n6 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



The present owner and resident is Charles S. Wesley, a 
distinguished member of our Bar and associated with the late 
Ernest L. Tustin, who did much in municipal affairs to raise 
the standard of city official life. 




MARY IRWIN AGNEW 

[Mrs. Erwin Agnew] 

1845- 1914 

With her grandson Erwin Agncw Fiero 



1912 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 

(22' x 9s') 



— Ann Dunnohew. 
1853 — Henry Croskey. 
1886 — Henrietta B. Wyeth. 



The owner and occupant was Henry Croskey, lumber mer- 
chant, who built the house and lived here from 1853 with 
members of his family as late as 1886; his daughter, Miss 
Croskey, later the wife and widow of Mr. Mustin, married 
William S. Lloyd, recently deceased, who was notable for 
his wonderful collection of the history of Robinson Crusoe, 
probably the most extensive outside of the British Museum. 
His library at his home in Germantown was well arranged, 
and he delighted to show his treasures to an interested 
visitor. 

Mrs. Mustin's (now Lloyd) son by her first husband is 
Captain H. C. Mustin, United States Navy, a man famed for 
many important inventions adopted by the Navy Depart- 
ment, successfully used during the recent war. 

Henry Croskey was a native of Philadelphia, born in 181 5 
of English and Scotch ancestry, his father, George Duncan 
Croskey, being descended from the Croskeys of Fleet Street 
Parish of St. Brides, London, who married Eliza Ashmead, 
one of the belles of Philadelphia, in 1808. Her mother 
was Mary Mifflin, of the family of Governor Mifflin, and her 
father Captain Ashmead, of Revolutionary fame. 

At fourteen years of age, on the death of his father, Henry 
Croskey in 1829 continued the lumber business at Broad and 
Race; in 1830, at the square of ground, Arch and Filbert, 
Eighteenth and Nineteenth; and finally at the wharves on 
the Delaware below Green Street. 

He early became interested in our street railways, was 
president of the Ridge Avenue Railway Company, and for 

(117) 



Il8 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

forty consecutive years was secretary and treasurer of the 
Board of Presidents of the City Passenger Railways of Phila- 
delphia, organized in 1859. It is amusing to recall the oppo- 
sition that existed to the introduction of the innovation, 




HEXRY CROSKEY, 1815- 1899 

which was characterized as a destruction to property inter- 
ests, and I can well remember the protests made by residents 
of West Walnut Street, including those facing Rittenhouse 
Square, reciting the dire results certain to follow the laying 
of tracks and the running of horse-cars. However, the Fifth 
and Sixth Streets line had been successfully inaugurated, 
property values had advanced rather than the reverse, so 
that when the subscription books were opened in the neigh- 



Past and Present 



119 



borhood of Twenty-second and Chestnut Streets for the 
Chestnut and Walnut line, the crowd was so great that my 
father reached the office in time only to find that the books 
were closed, all the shares having been taken. 







mrs. henry croskey, l819-1892 

Evolution ok Street Railway Transportation in 
Philadelphia 

From 1 85 1 to 1858 the horse-drawn omnibus was in 
general use on many of the streets of the City, and during 
the winter the substitute was a large open sleigh, seats 
arranged lengthwise on both sides, with straw in the middle, 
usuallv drawn by four horses, their principal route being 



120 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

down Chestnut and up Walnut Street from Eighteenth to 
Front. Of course, prior to the laying of the tracks, there 
was every facility for good sleighing, since the snow was 
soon packed down and usually lasted for a good part of the 
winter season. 

The first horse-cars were operated over the Fifth and 
Sixth Streets route and ran from Kensington to Morris 
Street, and for many years it was the main line for pas- 
sengers to reach the terminus of the steam railroad to New 
York City, the station for which was in Kensington. 

Subsequently, the line was extended to Frankford, upon 
which were used cars with a dummy engine; their coming 
was heralded by much snorting, groaning, shrieking of 
whistles, and clouds of smoke and dust. Occasionally they 
drew trailers which were old horse-cars converted into 
double-deckers by the use of a spiral stairway of light iron, 
hooked to the rear end of the car as a means of access. The 
great objection to their use was the disturbance to horse- 
drawn vehicles, since the unaccustomed sight frightened all 
classes of horses, irrespective of their breeding. 

On lines where traffic was of moderate character, one- 
horse cars were substituted, which were called "bob-tails," 
the driver sitting in front, making the necessary change and 
watching the box in which the fares were dropped, in addi- 
tion to his responsibility to drive the horse; and many were 
the opportunities given to boys — and even young men — to 
steal rides on the rear platform, which was left unguarded. 

These one-horse or "bob-tail" cars were operated for 
years on Eighteenth and Nineteenth Streets, skirting Ritten- 
house Square on its east and west sides; they were a source 
of keen anxiety to the parents of the youngsters, who in- 
sisted upon the practice of free riding just referred to. 1 

In those days all the cars, even the best, were lighted 

1 For many details of an intensely interesting character refer to an article 
by "Penn" in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and to a pamphlet published 
in the year 1S58 (now in the library of Hon. Hampton L. Carson), entitled 
A Consideration of the Subject of The Central Passenger Railway . . . Proposed 
to Be Run from Second to Tiventv-third Street via Walnut and Chestnut Streets. 



Past and Present 



121 



with oil lamps, one at each end, the floor covered with straw, 
which on rainy and snowy days soon became objectionable, 
so that many and loud were the complaints from the social 



r-r*Hn iirrorrT^rr-i 





Illustrations from the treatise by Alexander Easton, C.E., of Philadelphia, 
1859, shoving the advantage of street or horse-power railways over the omnibus 
system. The double-decker was in use on the line running from West Phila- 
delphia to Darby, one of our week-end vacation trips 
{Courtesy of Philadelphia Library) 



122 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



worker of the day as to the danger of disease arising from 
such conditions. But the people were patient, and it was 
not until a much later period that all this was discontinued 
and the modern car was developed, first with the cable 
system, by which the car was drawn by connection with 
a cable inserted in a tube lowered between the tracks and 
operated by a stationary plant placed at certain intervals; 
and then, in the year 1892, by the electric traction system; 
so that today, with its modern rolling stock, the equip- 



TIIK" IIADDO.V "('Alt 

DchiIik'c] fur Inr Camden A II, -i (III oilfield Passenger IUiIwviv 




The "H;i<M<>n" Car designed for the Camden and Haddonfield Passenger 

Railway by Alexander Easton in 1859 

(Courtesy of Philadelphia Library) 

ment is not surpassed by that of any other community and 
equalled by few, if any. 

To two men are the present modern conditions due: to 
Edward T. Stotesbury for the far-seeing and practical finan- 
cial support that he has given to its rehabilitation, and to 
Thomas J. Mitten for the physical development and unparal- 
leled management which has followed his conduct of affairs. 1 

To return to Henry Croskey's activities, it should be 
stated that he was deeply interested in church work, having 

1 I have also had the opportunity of consulting the Chronology of Street 
Railway Development in Philadelphia prepared by C. B. Fairchild, Executive 
Assistant to Mr. Mitten. 



Past and Present 123 

been largely instrumental in financing both the Tabernacle 
Church (which stood on Chestnut above Eighteenth, now 
the site of the Belgravia Apartment House) and the Beth 
Eden Baptist Church at the northwest corner of Broad and 
Spruce, recently removed to give place for an cffice building 
for the Atlantic Refining Companv. 




FRANK H. WYETH, 1836-1913 

His son, Dr. John Welsh Croskey, formerly surgeon of 
Wills Eye Hospital, is now senior ophthalmic surgeon to 
the Philadelphia General Hospital, ophthalmologist to the 
Home of the Merciful Saviour for Crippled Children, and 
consulting ophthalmologist to the Annie R. Warner Hospital 
at Gettysburg, Pa. 

In 1887 Mr. Frank H. Wyeth acquired the property, made 
a number of changes, including an attractive approach from 
the street, with a new front; it was his pleasure in declining 
years to sit in his second-story front room in the bay window. 



124 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

surveying the beauties of the Square at all seasons of the 
year. 

Mr. Wyeth was a liberal contributor to many charities, 
the University of Pennsylvania especially being the recipient 
of his bounties. He was a member of the Sons of the Revo- 
lution. 

His firm has a world-wide reputation for its pharma- 
ceutical preparations. I remember when last in Vienna, 
entering a chemist's shop, asking for quinine, and being 
handed a box bearing the familiar Philadelphia name of 
John Wyeth & Brother, the sight of which, so far from home, 
was a potent factor in restoring health. 



Past and Present 



12- 




BRONZE GOAT, "BILLY" 
By Albert Laessle. Erected in Rittenhouse Square by the Fairmount Park- 
Art Association — a gift from Eli Kirk Price, Esq. 

{Courtesy of George A. Wolf) 



126 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




Photo by Gutekunst 

ALFRED M. COLLINS, 1820-1895 



1914 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 
Formerly 1900 Plymouth Street 

(27' x 40') 



1853 — Alfred M. Collins. 
1868 — Henry Croskey. 
1885 — Elizabeth C. MacKeown. 
1887 — Edmund H. Frishmuth, Jr. 



It may not be generally known that the small street leading 
out from Rittenhouse Square, running to Twentieth, facing 
St. Patrick's Church, now called Rittenhouse Street, was 
originally named Plymouth, and the first house next to 
1912 just described was numbered 1900 Plymouth Street, 
and was owned and occupied by Alfred M. Collins, manu- 
facturer of paper, who dwelt here from 1850 until 1866. 
His eldest son, Harry, was our playmate, and being lithe 
of body he could outrun his companions. We had many 
games of shinny on the Square pavement, running from 
Eighteenth to Nineteenth, pedestrians using the south side 
of the street in deference to the boys' activities; prisoners' 
base was also a favorite game, these sports being confined 
to the upper side, probably because it was the least fre- 
quented. Harry Collins' sons, grandsons of the original 
resident, first named, are prominent members of the com- 
munity, giving their ability and means to the improvement 
of communal life. 

The house was later bought by Mr. Croskey (then living 
next door below) and altered so as to command an excel- 
lent view of the Square. The house extended back to the 
party line, and the rear wall contained windows. The two 

(127) 



128 



RlTTENHOUSE Sol'ARE 



owners on Ann Street (the street immediately in the rear) 
had erected high wooden fences in front of all the windows, 
so that when these two Ann Street houses were purchased by 
Mr. Croskev it was stipulated, in addition to the price paid, 
that the two owners should be permitted to live in their 
respective houses, rent free, until their death, which did not 
occur until several years later, when the fences were removed. 
Ann Street is now re-named Manning Street. 




Photo by Broadbent 

MRS. ALFRED M. COLLINS 
1820- 1S9S 



Past and Present 



129 



In 1872 Joseph G. Rowland was resident here; he was a 
junior partner in the cloth firm of John B. Ellison & Sons. 

In 1880 John C. W. Frishmuth was the tenant, and in 
1895 Louis Krumbhaar. The latter had married the daugh- 
ter of Bishop Stevens, a distinguished ecclesiastic, who 
earlier had been rector of St. Andrew's Church on Eighth 
Street above Spruce. 

Edmund H. Frishmuth, Jr., married Miss Dallett; their 
daughter became the wife of Charles J. Rhoads, a partner 
in the banking firm of Brown Brothers & Co. 




Copyright by Moses King 

RT. REV. WM. B. STEVENS, D.D., LL.D. 



13° 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




MAJOR ALFRED MORDECAI 
1804- 1S87 



1922 SOUTH RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 
Formerly Plymouth Street 

(22' x 40") 



1 85 1 — Julius Fink to Aaron Comfort. 

— (by inheritance) Emma Walraven, wife of Ira E. Wal- 

raven, and Annie E. Caldwell, granddaughter of 

Aaron Comfort. 
1876 — Francis M. Caldwell. 
1908 — Elizabeth H. Caldwell. 
1913 — Francis G. Caldwell. 
1920 — J. Bunford Samuel. 



The Misses Mordecai, the present tenants, widely known 
in social circles in Philadelphia, have a distinguished 
ancestry. Their father was Major Alfred Mordecai, 
U. S. A., a graduate of West Point Class of 1823 and 
one of the three members of the Commission sent by 
Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War under President 
Pierce, to Russia in 1855-56 to study the Crimean War, 
then in progress with England, France and Turkey against 
Russia; Mordecai represented ordnance, the others being 
Major Richard Delafield, engineers, and Captain George 
Bnnton McClellan, cavalry. Major Mordecai's son, 
Brigadier General Alfred Mordecai, also a West Pointer, 
Class of 1 86 1, recently deceased, was very highly considered 
in Army circles. McClellan later became general in our 
Civil War. 

Miss Rebecca Gratz was their great-aunt, a woman 
widely known for her beauty, intellectual attainments and 
charm of manner. 

Miss Gratz had been the friend of Matilda Hoffman, of 
New York (the betrothed of Washington Irving), whom she 

(131) 



132 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




Military Commission to visit the Crimea and theater of war in Europe, 

1855-56. From right to left: Major Alfred Mordecai, U. S. A.; Col. Obreskoff, 

Russian official aide; Major Richard Delafield, U. S. A.; Captain (afterward 

General) George B. McClellan, U. S. A. 



(From tt/r photograph taken in St. Peter^/iury. Russia, 1S55) 



Past and Present 



133 



had nursed in her last illness; and after her death, Irving, 
visiting Sir Walter Scott, spoke of the character of this 
splendid Jewish girl who had comforted his beloved's dying 
davs, and Scott immediately adopted the name and char- 
acter for his heroine ot Ivanhoe. 1 




REBECCA GRATZ 

17S1 - 1869 

(From the miniature by Malbone) 

1 For fuller descriptions of this remarkable woman see Century Magazine 
of September, 1882, an article entitled "The Original of Rebecca in Ivanhoe" — 
a descriptive portraiture by Gratz Van Rensselaer; also Recollections of My 
Aunt, Rebecca Gratz, by One of Her Nieces, by the late Mrs. Sara [nee Hays| 
Mordecai, wife of Major Alfred Mordecai, Philadelphia, 1893; Gratz Papers, 
"B. and M. Gratz, merchants in Philadelphia, 1754-1798," by Anderson 
Gratz, 1916, p. 325; The Jews of Philadelphia, by Henry S. Morais, 1894. 



134 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Miss Gratz dwelt for many years on the north side of 
Chestnut Street ahove Twelfth; there were four houses 
of similar architecture, called Boston Row, that stood back 
from the front pavement as shown in the illustration. 

A third daughter of Major Mordecai, Miss Rosa, lives 
in Washington, D. C. In earlv youth she was mv Sundav- 
school teacher and I have always been grateful for the 
patience she exercised in endeavoring to instil high standards 
of life. 




Northwest corner Chestnut and Twelfth Streets and B< stun Row to the West 

m 1839 



{Sketched by Kennedy. Courtesy of Historical society of Pennsylvania) 



230 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 
Northwest Corner Nineteenth and Rittenhouse Streets 

(20' x 124' 6") 



1865 — Rev. Charles W. Shields. 

1866 — Tench C. Coxe. 

1869 — George D. Rosengarten. 

1913 — Children of Charles P. Sinnickson. 



Rev. Charles Woodruff Shields was a native of New 
Albany, Ind., and pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, 
1850-65, then situated on Seventh Street below Arch. 

Upon his retirement he was appointed professor of science 
and religion at Princeton University, serving from 1 865-1 903. 

In 1852 William B. Fling lived here, with his family, 
for many years. Tradition relates that Fling Senior and 
Fling Junior, father and son, being experts with the brush, 
are described suspended in a deep basket, painting the spire 
of Christ Church on Second Street with perfect nonchalance 
and with complete success. It is doubtful, however, if this 
reference applies to the residents of Rittenhouse Square; 
a careful and exhaustive research has failed to establish the 
presence of living descendants. 

Afterward it was occupied by Tench Coxe, and in 1871 
Charles P. Sinnickson acquired the property, made many 
changes from the old-fashioned brick front, a decided im- 
provement to that section. Mr. Sinnickson's wife was 
Emma Rosengarten, the daughter of George D. Rosen- 
garten, who lived on the southeast corner of Sixteenth and 
Chestnut, and whose son, the late Joseph- G. Rosengarten, 
was one of the most prominent members of the community, 
and a man to whom all citizens were greatly indebted for 

(135) 



136 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



the interest that he took in every good work — social, intel- 
lectual and charitable — whenever brought to his attention. 
The Rosengartens are descended from the Mendelssohn 
family, distinguished in the 18th century for literary and 
musical quality of the very highest standards. Moses 




REV. DR. CHARLES W. SHIELDS 
1825- 1904 



Past and Present 



137 



Mendelssohn, eminent philosopher, friend and collaborator 
of Lessing, the father of the new era of German literature, 
dating from the middle of the 18th century, was the grand- 
father of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, famous musician 
and composer, of equal rank with Handel and Mozart. 




MRS. CHARLES P. SINNICKSON 

(Emma Rosengarten] 

1S47- 1911 



228 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(20' x 127') 



1859 — Catharine Field. 

1864 — Rachel L. Harvey (formerly Rachel L. Wistar). 

1875 — Walter Dwight Bell. 

1888 — Frederick C. and Clara Elizabeth Durant. 



In 1859 Catharine Field was the owner and she is recorded 
as Mrs. Charles Field. Living with her was Thomas Y. 
Field, who was appointed second lieutenant U. S. Marine 
Corps in 1847 from the State of Pennsylvania and retired 
in 1899 with the rank of colonel. 

S. Weir Lewis resided here in 1851-52. When but 
seventeen years of age he was sent by his father, John F. 
Lewis, as supercargo to Canton, China, in the ship "Ply- 
mouth," followed by several other voyages to the same 
port, finally retiring with a fortune, devoting his well-earned 
leisure to the community's welfare, serving for many years 
as treasurer of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf 
and Dumb, The Northern Home for Friendless Children, 
The Union Benevolent Association, The Athenaeum of 
Philadelphia and being identified with many of the City's 
charities as secretary or director. He was also a director 
of the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank and assisted 
his brother, Edwin M. Lewis, then president of the bank, 
in the settlement of the estate of Jay Cooke & Co. after the 
panic of the year 1873. 

His son is the present John Frederick Lewis, with a 
national reputation in marine law; he also serves our 
community, following the example of his forbears. Mr. 
Lewis is president of the Pennsylvania Academy of the 
Fine Arts, member of the Art Jury, councillor of the His- 
torical Society of Pennsylvania, president of the Mercan- 

(138) 



Past and Present 



r 39 



tile Library, and active in a host of other organizations 
tending to the City's welfare. He is an authority on books, 
ancient and modern, and possesses a library open to book- 
lovers to share its treasures. 




S. WEIR LEWIS 
1819- 1838 



Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Durant have lived here for 
many vears; Mrs. Durant is the daughter of Joseph Harri- 
son, Jr., one of our foremost citizens, who established a 
world-wide reputation and of whom further will be related 
when his former residence on the opposite side of the Square 
is reached. 



140 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




Photo by Goldensky 

ALEXANDER E. HARVEY 
1824- 1910 



226 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(22' 4" x 252') 



1856 — -Elizabeth B. Sloanaker. 

1856 — Louisa L. Gilmore. 

1873 — Alfred Gilmore. 

1875 — Alexander E. and Rachael L. Harvey. 



Here lives R. Wistar Harvey, whose parents were related 
to Lewis A. Scott, of whom mention has been made. His 
father was Alexander E. Harvey, whose portrait is given. 
In 1856, when this property was for sale by William H. 
Sloanaker, United States Assessor, my father, desiring to 
have a larger house, since the family was growing, entered 
into an agreement with Sloanaker for its purchase, which 
the latter declined to complete, so the negotiations were 
terminated and we remained on the south side. 



(141) 



142 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




MRS. ALEXANDER E. HARVEY 

1X28- 1S93 

[PIMtfjmjtlfil l>il a<>ltirax!;(i from photograph by Sarony) 



224 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(33' x 145') 



1864 — Margaret Crousillat. 
1865 — Charles Gibbons. 
1885 — John A. Brown, Jr. 



This was an old-fashioned, attractive building con- 
structed of wood in style of a Swiss chalet, probably the 
only one in Philadelphia. It was occupied by Miss Margaret 
Crousillat, who lived there from 1855 until 1864. 

In the old histories of Philadelphia, there is mentioned 
the name of Louis Marshall Jacques Crousillat, who died 
about 1836, but it has not yet been established if he were a 
brother of the lady referred to. The name is exceptional, 
of French origin, and it seems natural to conclude that they 
are related. 

This lady was noted as an amateur performer on the 
harp, a rare accomplishment in those days, but, since my 
mother was an amateur musician, there were notable gather- 
ings at each other's houses with Semiladis on the violin, 
Ahrend on the 'cello, Miss Crousillat with the harp, my 
mother at the piano, and occasionally Wolfsohn and Wald- 
teufel, famous pianists of the early days. 

The house was known as No. 1920; for years there was 
confusion, since some residents used the enumeration count- 
ing from Nineteenth Street, while others used the serial 
numbers beginning at 200 at Walnut Street through to the 
south side. 

• After Miss Crousillat's death Charles Gibbons became 
the owner; reference has been made to his personality and 
career at an earlier location. 

(143) 



i 4 4 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



A daughter of Charles Gibbons married Major White, 
who had lived in the West after retiring from the Army. He 
was a genial, well-informed man of attractive personality 
and gave excellent service as one of the secretaries of the 
Fairmount Park Art Association. To his daughters, the 
Misses White, I am indebted for the photographs of their 




Crousillat House, West Rittenhouse Square, 224 South Nineteenth Street 



Past and Present 



145 



grandparents and especially for that of the house, the only 
illustration in existence of that period and place. 

In 1887 John A. Brown, Jr., who lived at Nineteenth 
and Walnut, removed the dwelling and put up the present 
handsome stone house, living there until his recent demise. 
His widow, Mrs. Brown, is still a resident, deeply interested 
in church and charitable work. 




JOHN A. BROWN, Jr. 
1839- 1919 



222 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

S. W. corner Nineteenth and Locust Streets 

(33' * 145') 



1863 — Julia Rhpplihr. 
1SS4 — Henry C. Gibson. 
1893 — Alice Gibson Brock. 



George S. Repplier was interested in the development ot 
anthracite coal-fields and was a popular member ot the 
community. 




GEORGE S. REPPLIER 
1817- 1872 



His niece is Miss Agnes Repplier, of international literary 
fame, in whose reputation we take great pride. 

( 146) 



Past and Present 



H7 



Another relative is my cousin, the former Miss Emma 
Repplier, now the wife of Dr. Lightner Witmer, of the 
University of Pennsylvania. 

Colonel Robert Coleman Hall Brock of the Second 
Regiment, N. G. P., and a well-known lawyer, was born 




MRS. GEORGE S. REPPLIER 
1820- 1898 



in this City in 1861. He was educated at St. Paul's School 
at Concord, N. H. He was subsequently graduated from 
Oxford University, England, and, returning to Philadelphia, 
entered the office of W. H. Newbold & Co., bankers. Several 
years later he began the study of law in the office of Judge 



148 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



George M. Dallas, and was admitted to the Bar. He 
married Miss Alice Gibson, daughter of the late Henry C. 
Gibson, of this City. 

Colonel Brock was a director of the Academy of the 
Fine Arts, was connected with the Archaeological Depart- 




Pfiolo by Gutekunst 



ROBERT C. H. BROCK 
1861- 1906 



ment of the University of Pennsylvania and was a member 
of Philadelphia, University and Rittenhouse Clubs. 

As a lawyer Colonel Brock was not active in the courts, 
his time being given to the care of estates, and with his 



Past and Present 149 

brothers he was interested in many financial projects. His 
wealth, acquired from his father's estate, permitted him to 
follow his inclination for scientific study and art pursuits. 
He was one of the leading members of the Franklin Institute. 
Samuel T. Bodine was resident in 1900; he is now presi- 
dent of the United Gas Improvement Company. 



220 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(20' x 116') 



1853 — Thomas Newbold. 
1854 — Caroline Harvey. 
1906 — Mary J. B. Chew. 

— Martha M. Brown. 
1919 — David S. B. Chew, et al., Trustees. 



Josiah L. Harvey lived here about 1857; he was engaged in 
real estate. It is reported that his picture was never taken. 




Copyright by Moses King 

West Rittenhouse Square (Nineteenth Street below Walnut), looking south 

This property was finally acquired by Major David 
S. B. Chew, who holds it jointly with other members of the 
family. It is now arranged as an apartment house. 

(150) 



218 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(40' x 116') 



i860 — Samuel Smyth. 
1861 — Manlius G. Evans. 
1870 — George C. Franciscus. 

— Sallie E. Lippincott, wife of Craige Lippincott. 



Charles H. Pancoast, attorney and counsellor, married in 
1857 Sarah E. Smyth, daughter of Samuel Smyth, who built 
this house for her. Mr. Pancoast was the oldest son of the 
eminent surgeon, Doctor Joseph Pancoast, and was a 
graduate of Haverford College. 

Manlius G. Evans was a Philadelphian by birth, a mem- 
ber of our Bar, although not in active practice. 

He was very greatly interested in horses and driving, and 
at one time was the owner of a farm in Chester County. 
Mr. Evans married Ellen, the daughter of Hartman Kuhn, 
whose mansion was on Chestnut Street above Eleventh, 
now the site of Keith's Theater. 

The daughter became the wife of Admiral Mahan, of our 
Navy, and a man of world-wide reputation. 

Mr. Evans was a member of the City Troop. 

George C. Franciscus was born in Lancaster, Pa., in 
1821. He had limited advantage of the schools, and when 
but a boy obtained employment in a book-store in his native 
city and embraced the opportunity to read and study books. 
When sixteen he left Lancaster and accepted employment as 
clerk in the office of Brown & Reed on the Columbia Canal 
Basin. He remained with the firm until in the early forties, 
when he entered the office of the agent at Columbia for 
Leech's Transportation Line, which he represented, remain- 

(151) 



152 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



ing there until 1853, when J. Edgar Thomson selected him 
as freight agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Pittsburgh. 
To him is due the credit of bringing order out of chaos into 
which the freighting business of the Pennsylvania Railroad, 




Photo by Germon 

CHARLES HOWARD PANCOAST 
1830- 1861 

both in its local and interchange aspects, had fallen. In 
1857 he was appointed Superintendent of the Philadelphia 
and Columbia Railroad, where his splendid organizing and 
administrative abilities soon produced a revolution and 
brought it within and under the control of business methods 



Past and Present 



153 



The rapid growth of Philadelphia, whose business inter- 
ests were interwoven with those of the Pennsylvania Rail- 
road, presented so many special questions for determination 
by a well-equipped transportation official that the necessity 
for the office of general agent arose. Thus came the creation 
of the office, and the selection of Mr. Franciscus as its first 




Photo by A. Newman 

MANLIUS G. EVANS 
1821- 1879 



incumbent. He continued as general agent until his death, 
which occurred at Cresson Springs in 1870. 

Mr. Franciscus was a man of strength and breadth, 
positive in manner, inflexible in requiring obedience, yet 
withal kind and considerate to those who came under his 



154 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



official leadership, an efficient officer, a good citizen and a 
kind friend. 

Three years before the Centennial Exhibition, it was 
in March, 1873, this house was granted to the "Women's 




GEORGE C. FRANCISCUS 

1821- 1870 



Centennial Executive Committee," of which that accom- 
plished, energetic woman, Mrs. E. D. Gillespie, was chairman. 
There was a Loan Exhibition held there, the large garden 
being enclosed with a cover of canvas so that dancing and 
a restaurant were successfully conducted and large sums of 



Past and Present 155 

money realized for the cause, as also keeping before the 
public an interest in the approaching exhibition. 

Members of the Committee: 

Mrs. E. D. Gillespie, President, 250 S. 21st St. 
Mrs. John Sanders, Vice-President, 410 S. 15th St. 
Mrs. J. Edgar Thomson, Treasurer, 18th and 

Spruce Sts. 
Mrs. Aubrey H. Smith, Secretary, 151 5 Pine St. 
Miss McHenry, 1902 Chestnut St. 
Mrs. Charles J. Stille, 1505 Walnut St. 
Miss Elizabeth Gratz, 1309 Locust St. 
Mrs. John W. Forney, 618 S. Washington Square. 
Mrs. Emily R. Buckman, 567 N. 16th St. 
Mrs. Richard P. White, 21 13 Pine St. 
Mrs. Henry Cohen, 1828 S. Rittenhouse Square. 
Mrs. Matthew Simpson, 1807 Mount Vernon St. 
Mrs. Huldah Justice, 567 N. 15th St. 

Elizabeth Duane Gillespie was a great-granddaughter 
of Benjamin Franklin. She was the daughter of William 
Duane, editor of the Aurora, whose wife was Deborah 
Bache. Their son was the eminent William J. Duane, 
friend and legal adviser of Stephen Girard and Secretary 
of the Treasury during the administration of President 
Andrew Jackson. It is stated that by Duane's advice 
Girard purchased many acres of land (afterward proved 
to be rich in coal) at from three to six cents per acre. 

Mrs. Gillespie inherited the qualities of these noted 
ancestors and was possessed of a strong personality which 
brought her prominently forward in civic life. 

I can recall some of the worthy enterprises that were 
benefited by her commanding leadership: the Hospital for 
Wounded Soldiers of the Civil War at Broad and Cherry 
Streets; the Fair in Logan Square for the benefit of the 
Sanitary Commission in 1864; the Symphony Concerts, a 
movement that has resulted today in the overflowing 
audiences at the Boston Symphony performances and those 



156 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



of the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Associate Committee of 
Women of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of In- 
dustrial Art, with its seventeen pupils, but which numbered 
more than a thousand at the time of the close of her career; 




Photo by Guhkuml 

MRS. ELIZABETH DUANE GILLESPIE 
1821- 1901 

one of the founders of the National Society of Colonial 
Dames of America; and a life member of the Daughters of 
the American Revolution. 

In later years she organized the associate board of women 
to conduct the maternity department of Jefferson Hospital, 



Past and Present 157 

a work ably continued by her daughter, Ellen Duane, the 
wife of Dr. Edward P. Davis. 

"Both in personal appearance and in many of her 
intellectual characteristics Mrs. Gillespie bore a striking 
resemblance to her great ancestor, Benjamin Franklin." 

To indicate an appreciation of Mrs. Gillespie's services, 
a few of her friends and associates commissioned Susan 
Horner, the sculptress in Florence, to design a plaque, which 
was executed in marble and is a faithful portraiture of this 
eminent woman. The presentation took place in mv 
mother's home at 1828 South Rittenhouse Square, Colonel 
Chapman Biddle making the address in the presence of a 
distinguished gathering, to which Mrs. Gillespie replied in 
a vein of happy wit and humor. 

Later this fine double property was acquired by the late 
Craige Lippincott, where he lived until his recent death. It 
is now occupied by the Red Cross Society, which is in treaty 
for its purchase. 



216 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(20' x 116') 



1863— R. E. Morris. 
1864 — John Fallon. 
1883— Mary M. Leedom. 



In 1857 John Fallon, a member of the Bar, was the occupant, 
and rumor credited him with being the agent in this country 
for the late Queen of Spain, who was said to be the owner of 
considerable real estate in the southeastern part of Philadel- 
phia. It is also stated that he received a fee of $100,000, a 
fabulous sum in those days, and it was reported that he had 
used a portion of this amount to erect a palace on West 
Rittenhouse Square. 

Joseph Leedom later became the owner and resided there 
for many years and still retains his ownership, although no 
longer a resident. 



(15S) 



CONVENT OR ACADEMY OF NOTRE DAME 

(Four lots) 

(US' X252') 



1865 to 1868 — James Swain, 206-208 South Nineteenth Street; 
Oliver Hopkinson, 210 South Nineteenth Street; 
Samuel J. Sharpless, 212 and 214 South Nine- 
teenth Street. 



Next to the Fallon residence is the Academy of Notre 
Dame, occupying a large section of ground which belonged 
to, or was controlled by, George W. Edwards, of whom 
mention will be made later. 

The ground originally was a brickyard and lay fallow 
until its purchase by the Sisters in the sixties. 

As an educational institution, it also ranks high in the 
estimation of members of other faiths, many of its pupils 
having been of creeds other than the Roman Catholic. 



(159) 



204 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(2S'xiSS') 



1864 — Charles M. Gibson. 

1865 — Joshua B. Lippincott. 

1906 — Isabel Armstrong Lippincott. 

1919 — Archibald Barklie. 



Joshua B. Lippincott built this house in 1866, living there 
with his family until his death in 1886. As one of the early 
makers of Philadelphia, it may be of interest to give an out- 
line of his career. 

A native of New Jersey, he imbibed from his widowed 
mother, who was of thrifty Quaker stock, many character- 
istics which contributed to his phenomenal success in life. 
When a boy he was employed by a bookseller in Philadelphia, 
soon mastered the details of the business, and, on the failure 
of his employer, at the request of creditors when only 18 
years of age, he assumed charge. Following this experience, 
a few years later, with a loan of $2000 from his mother, he 
began on his own account at the old stand of his first em- 
ployer at Fourth and Race Streets. 

Many years afterward, on the site of this his first humble 
store, he erected a commodious warehouse, a much-needed 
improvement in the neighborhood. 

In 1849 Mr. Lippincott purchased the extensive book- 
jobbing and stationery business of Grigg, Elliot & Co., then 
the largest establishment of the kind in the United States. 

Combined with the publishing of notable works, in which 
Mr. Lippincott had been engaged for years, the house became 
a dominating influence in the trade of the entire country, 
the publications securing wide recognition in Great Britain 

(160) 



Past and Present 



161 



and in her English-speaking colonies. Those that I remem- 
ber with much satisfaction are Chambers' Encyclopedia; the 
Gazeteer of the World and Doctor Thomas' Dictionary of 
Biography and Mythology, all of importance to the school- 





J. B. LIPPINCOTT 
1813- 1886 



boy, and they have not lost their value even in these days 
of the multiplicity of books of reference. When a youth I 
was a member of a class attending lectures given by Dr. 
Thomas on literature and retain a regard and esteem for his 
efforts that have left a permanent impression. 



162 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Upon the breaking out of the Civil War in 1861, Lippin- 
cott suffered great losses through the overdue and unpaid 
accounts of the southern customers; but this was soon com- 
pensated for by new business channels opened up in the 
North and West. Many standard works were now issued, 
Allibone's Dictionary of Authors; United States Dispensatory; 
sets of Bulwer's novels, many histories, and hosts of light 
literature. 

In 1861-63 ne erected a capacious store and warehouse 
at 715 and 717 Market Street, a Mecca for book-lovers until 
the department store of Lit Brothers absorbed it and the 
Lippincott Company was established in East Washington 
Square, a section destined to be the home of the publishing 
business of Philadelphia. 

Mr. Lippincott was extremely popular with his hosts of 
employees and highly esteemed by his fellow-citizens; 
among positions of honor and trust may be named director 
of the Farmers & Mechanics Bank lately merged with 
the Philadelphia National; manager Philadelphia Saving 
Fund Society; director Pennsylvania Company for Insur- 
ances on Lives & Granting Annuities; trustee Jefferson 
Medical College and of the University of Pennsylvania. 
For twenty years he was a member of the Board of Managers 
of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company, which in 
the crisis of its affairs received liberally both of his time and 
of his means. When president of the Society for the Pre- 
vention of Cruelty to Animals, he became interested in the 
Veterinary Department of the University, giving generously 
to its support, and has been regarded as one of the founders. 

Mr. Lippincott was one of the original band of patriots 
forming the Union Club, from which developed our present 
Union League, and responded to all appeals on behalf of the 
armies in the field. He was a member of the Philadelphia 
Club, the Social Art Club (now the Rittenhouse) and of many 
other societies. 

Mrs. J. B. Lippincott was the daughter of Seth Craige, 
a prominent manufacturer. 



Past and Present 



163 



The Lippincott house was purchased by Mrs. J. Dundas 
Lippincott after the death of her husband, who had lived in 
the so-called yellow mansion at the northeast corner of 
Broad and Walnut Streets. Upon Mrs. Lippincott's re- 




MRS. JOSHUA B. LIPPINCOTT 

[Josephine Craige] 

1S23- 1899 



marriage she left the city, since which time the house has 
been rented to tenants, John W. Converse (son ot the late 
fohn H. Converse, president of the Baldwin Locomotive 
Works), and at present Colonel Samuel D. Lit. 



164 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Of the family there are surviving Walter Lippincott, 
who married the daughter of Sigmund Horstmann; J. 
Bertram Lippincott, whose wife is the daughter of Joseph 
Wharton; and a daughter, Mrs. Goodwin, of New York. 

These men and women constitute a group of great honor 
to our community, a group that in the past has contributed 
to, and continues in the present to initiate and encourage, 
all good works. 



202 SOUTH NINETEENTH STREET 

(50' x 140') 



1855 — William Swain. 

1856 — Fairman Rogers. 

1888 — Alexander J. Cassatt. 

1921 — Protestant Episcopal Diocese. 



In the fifties Mr. Rogers built this house, substantial brick, 
plain exterior, but with modern conveniences within. He 
was professor of civil engineering of the University of Penn- 
sylvania, and dean of the Department of Mechanical Arts. 
In 1872, when the University moved from Ninth Street, he 
ceased to be professor and became a member of the Board of 
Trustees. In later years he was a familiar figure on his four- 
in-hand coach and tandem team driving through the City 
and its suburbs. He was a very active member of the com- 
munity and held in high esteem. 

The late Horace Howard Furness indited a memorial, 
from which the following may be gleaned: 

Fairman Rogers was born in Philadelphia in 1833 and died in 
Vienna, Austria, in 1900. His father was Evans Rogers, an iron- 
master of wealth; his grandfather, Gideon Fairman, the inventor 
of the art of engine-turning, to which is due the artistic engraving 
on our modern bank-notes. 

Gideon Fairman was an intimate of Washington Irving, who 
declared that if he were condemned to prison with the privilege of 
only one associate, he would select Fairman as his single companion. 

At the age of fourteen Fairman Rogers lectured (upon request 
of the master of the school) to the class on the then novelty of 
the electric telegraph, illustrating by wires he had attached to the 
walls and ceiling of the room. 

Then he was a volunteer companion to Professor Alexander 
Dallas Bache on the United States Coast Survey, on his return 

(165) 



l66 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

lecturing for some time at Harvard on roads. As a member of 
the First City Troop he served in the field on the breaking out of 
the Civil War and later was on the stafF of General Re'.nolds and 
of General Smith. 




FAIRMAN ROGERS 
1833 - 1900 

{From the Memorial by Dr. Horace Howard Furness) 

He was one of the founders of our Academy of Natural 
Sciences, a Director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine 
Arts, a member of the Saturday Club, from which developed The 
Union League. At the home at Newport, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers 
entertained hosts of friends. 



Past and Present 



167 



Dr. Furness concludes in these words: 

To a keen intellect were united clearness of exposition and a 
retentive memory; on man)' an institution in his native city an 
ineffaceable impression has been left of his judicious devotion; of 
unstinted hospitality and the most considerate and attentive of 




Photo, by Broadbcnt 

MRS. FAIRMAN ROGERS 
1S33 - 1914 

hosts; of high veracity and a delicate sense of honor; and of such 
serenity that a harsh or hasty word never fell from his lips. Pos- 
sibly in what has been said there is too much of the personal 
equation. Be it so; we were children together; brothers in love 
and in law; I can say but what I believe. 



i68 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



After the death of Mr. Rogers, the property was finally 
sold to A. J. Cassatt, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, 
who occupied it from 1889 until his death. Mr. Cassatt 
made many changes in the building, both inside and out. 




ALEXANDER J. CASSATT 
1839- 1906 



Alexander Johnston Cassatt was born in Pittsburgh in 
1839; his father was a man of means and position, identified 
with important interests. 

Alexander, when a youth, spent some years in the Uni- 
versity of Darmstadt, where he acquired several foreign 



Past and Present 



169 



languages, in which he was always proficient. Returning 
to America, he entered Rensselaer Polytechnic College, 
Troy, N. Y., from which he graduated as civil engineer, and 
was engaged by the Pennsylvania Railroad as rodman, from 




MRS. ALEXANDER JOHNSTON CASSATT 
1846- 1920 



which position he advanced to the vice-presidency. Resign- 
ing to follow private interests, he was again called to the 
service of the company as its president in 1899. It was 
during his administration that there occurred the famous 
incident of the purchase of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & 



I70 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Baltimore Railroad, a transaction hitherto without parallel. 
The most notable undertakings of the railroad company 
were initiated during his able conduct of affairs. I have the 
privilege of quoting from the minute adopted by the directors 
shortly after Mr. Cassatt's death, December 28, 1906: 

In ever}' position which he filled he had shown a thorough 
mastery of the problems entrusted to him for solution, a broad 
and comprehensive understanding of the questions at issue, intui- 
tive perception of the underlying principles involved in their 
adjustment, and a keen sense of justice toward contending interests. 
It is no wonder, therefore, that not only his close associates, but 
all those brought into contact with him, recognized in him one of 
the leading spirits of our age, one of the men who make a nation 
great and whose fame is a precious heritage. 

Mrs. Alexander Johnston Cassatt was the daughter of 
the late Reverend Edward Y. Buchanan and a niece of James 
Buchanan, President of the United States, 1857-61. For 
years Mrs. Cassatt had been one of the foremost leaders of 
Philadelphia society and was a prominent patroness of the 
arts, music and languages, having been president of the 
Alliance Francaise as also vice-president of the Acorn Club. 
From the year 1914 to the time of her death, Mrs. Cassatt 
was president of the Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania, to 
which she brought an intelligent and influential personality 
on behalf of the City's welfare during the period of the 
World War. 

Recently the property has been acquired by the Trustees 
of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Penn- 
sylvania and will be their new Church House, the acquire- 
ment having been made possible through the liberality of 
the Cassatt family, they being willing to receive a sum con- 
siderably less than the estimated value. 



SOUTHWEST CORNER NINETEENTH AND WALNUT 

STREETS 

(ioo' x 164') 



1856 — Church of the Holy Trinity. 



Until 1856 this was a vacant lot, which was true of most of 
the surrounding blocks of streets, many of them occupied bv 
stoneyards and operations of a similar character, but in the 
year mentioned the foundations were begun and the church 
was opened in 1858. The architecture is Norman Gothic; 




West Rittenhouse Square or South Nineteenth Street 

the architect, John Nottman, who designed St. Mark's 
Church, Locust Street above Sixteenth. The chime of bells 
was the gift of the late Joseph E. Temple, and the structure 
when viewed from Eighteenth Street, especially toward sun- 
down and particularly in the autumn when the leaves have 

(171) 



172 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



fallen fron the trees, is most attractive, and there are few 
sections of the City where a more interesting presentation 
can be made. 

The pulpit has been occupied by men of distinction, 
especially the Reverend Phillips Brooks, whose masterful 
presentation of scriptural and mundane subjects attracted 
wide attention. Mr. Brooks was deeply interested in the 




REV. PHILLIPS BROOKS 

1835- 1893 

1891, Right Reverend Bishop of the P. E. Diocese of Massachusetts 



success of the northern troops during the Civil War and took 
every occasion to impress his congregation with the impor- 
tance of the highest character of patriotism. On the Sunday 
morning in July, 1863, when suspense existed throughout 
the community during the progress of the Battle of Gettys- 
burg, news had been received of the final victory and the 
retreat of General Lee's Confederate force; my father, 



Past and Present 173 

imbued with patriotic fervor and knowing of Mr. Brooks' 
anxiety, crossed over to the church, entering it at the close 
of the service, and had the privilege of giving to the rector 
the welcome news, which was quickly spread throughout 
the congregation. Confirmation of this incident comes from 
Mr. Brooks' pocket diary as follows: "Sunday, July 5, 1863. 
. During the Communion Service news came of Lee's 
rout and I announced it to the congregation. God be 
praised." 

It is interesting to note the career of this eminent man. 
A native of Massachusetts, he spent the years 1856-59 at 
the theological seminary at Alexandria, Va., from which he 
was called to the Church of the Advent, York Road and 
Buttonwood Street, Philadelphia, in the year 1859, where 
he developed into a preacher and church worker of excep- 
tional quality. It was said at the time that the late Thomas 
H. Powers, then living close to the church, was attracted 
by the powerful language in which Mr. Brooks addressed 
his congregation, so that, upon the former's removal to 
Walnut Street above Sixteenth and the erection of Holy 
Trinity, the call was extended to Mr. Brooks to take up the 
much larger and more important work that was offered. 
His diary and letters indicate the regret that the congregants 
of the "Advent" felt at his departure, as also his own con- 
sideration of the change, but it is evident that he recognized 
his duty to the greater field that opened. All are familiar 
with his success in spreading religious thought over our 
community, his subsequent and successful installation at 
Trinity in the City of Boston, and his final consecration as 
Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts. When in Boston 
one winter Mrs. Cohen and I were privileged to be present 
at a service in Trinity and listened with eager attention to 
one of his sermons delivered with marvelous speed, yet with 
clearest intonation. 

In the rear, a little to the south and facing on Twentieth 
Street, was a church entitled "Western" of the Methodist 
Episcopal creed, supported by the brickmakers who were 
numerous in the neighboring dwellings; it was known collo- 



174 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

quially as the "Brickmaker's Church." Some years since 
the property was acquired by the Holy Trinity congregation 
and is now their Parish House, wherein there is a well- 
arranged Sunday School and various and spacious rooms 
in which are conducted the many activities of this important 
religious body. 

The present rector, the Rev. Dr. Floyd W. Tomkins, 
has a wide influence in the community; his "lessons" as 
published in the Saturday Ledgers are admirable biblical 
essays by which all may profit, irrespective of creed. 

Holy Trinity Church has been so prominent in the affairs 
of the community, intimately associated with Rittenhouse 
Square, that it is thought desirable and would be of interest 
to narrate a few of the salient facts in connection with its 
origin and continued welfare. 

Dr. J. Cheston Morris addressed a congregation on the 
occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the laying of the 
cornerstone of the structure in May, 1907, and by the 
courtesy of John W. Townsend, Esq., accounting warden, 
some extracts have been made. 

Dr. Morris proceeds to say that in the year 1855 he was 
living at 1628 Chestnut Street and was called upon by 
Lemuel Coffin and John M. Hale to discuss the desirability 
of establishing a new congregation in the western section of 
our City, which was then pressing rapidly toward the Schuyl- 
kill. It was suggested that a committee in sympathy with 
the object should be formed; subsequent reports were 
encouraging since they included subscriptions from John 
Bohlen, Asa Whitney, John and William Welsh, John Grigg, 
Thomas H. Powers, William P. Cresson, Thomas Allibone 
and many others. The committee consisted, beside Dr. 
Morris, of Messrs. Hale, L. Montgomery Bond and Samuel 
Leonard. 

The lot was purchased at a cost of $37,500, and the 
building contracted for at a cost of $63,000. The first 
rector was Dr. Vinton, who came from Boston. The total 
cost of the ground and building, including organ and furni- 
ture (but not the spire), was about $125,000. 



Past and Present 175 

When in 1861 the efforts of the United States Government, to 
relieve the imprisoned garrison of Fort Sumter, brought about its 
abandonment, I well recall the Sunday morning when the an- 
nouncement was made that the first shots had been fired. I 
walked down the street with Mr. Coffin and Mr. Bohlen, and we 
purchased the first extras. That afternoon, before evening service, 
I requested Dr. Vinton to read the prayer for the Church "In 
Time of War and Tumult." He only asked me, "Are you pre- 
pared to call them your enemies?" to which I replied, "Anyone 
who fires on the flag of my country is my enemy." "Then I will 
read the prayer," he said, which he accordingly did. 

Later in the year the failing health of Mrs. Vinton 
induced the rector to seek another climate. Therefore 
early in March of that year a carriage containing Messrs. 
Coffin, Cresson, George L. Harrison and Dr. Morris drove 
to the Church of the Advent, Fifth and Buttonwood Streets, 
where the Reverend Phillips Brooks, a student of Dr. Vinton, 
was then rector. 

"We passed quietly into the church and listened to the 
service and sermon. We came away satisfied that here was 
the man whom we wanted for our rector." 

It is reported that his views were so broad that in the 
morning he would take strong Arminian ground and in the 
evening equally strong Calvinistic, and on one occasion a 
member of Dr. Vinton's family rushed into the room with 
the exclamation, "What do you think! Phillips Brooks has 
just preached an awful sermon!" to which Dr. Vinton 
replied, "My dear, be quiet." And when Dr. Morris was 
appealed to for the thread of the sermon, it was decided 
Mr. Brooks was a man who thought for himself. No old 
formula would content him but he was on the right founda- 
tion and would come out all right; and so it proved. 

In 1869 Dr. Brooks resigned to accept the rectorship of 
Trinity, in Boston, where his opportunities among the 
Harvard students were unparalleled. Then followed 
Reverend Thomas A. Jaggar and Reverend William Neilson 
McVickar and finally the Reverend Floyd W. Tomkins, 
the present rector. 



I76 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

A word may well be given to the music of the church, 
which has been rendered so attractive by the skill of Francis 
Sully Darley, Lewis H. Redner, Michael Cross and Kinder. 

The Sunday Schools, Bible Schools, Night Schools, 
Sewing Classes, Cooking Schools, Neighborhood Guilds, 
Colored Schools, Chinese Schools and many others may be 
mentioned as among the activities successfully carried on 
during the past fifty years or more. 

In concluding his address, Dr. J. Cheston Morns lays 
particular stress upon the devotion to the church and its 
interests by John Bohlen, Lemuel Coffin, Miss Anna 
Blanchard, Mrs. Ashbridge, William P. Cresson, Judge 
Woodward, Asa Whitney, James S. Biddle, Alexander 
Brown and many others who have gone to their reward. 



1905 WALNUT STREET 

(19' x 140') 



— Samuel Norris. 
1864 — Lemuel Coffin. 
1870 — Edmund A. W. Hunter. 
1887 — Emma L. Horstmann. 
1894 — Frank H. Rosengarten. 



This was erected about the same time that Holy Trinity 
Church was completed. 

Dr. Hunter was an early occupant, and in 1888 it was 
purchased by Mrs. Wm. J. Horstmann (the mother of our 
present Walter Horstmann); she lived there until her death 
in 1893. 

In 1894 Mr. Frank H. Rosengarten became the owner 
and is still a resident. George D. Rosengarten, his father 
and founder of the chemical manufacturing firm, lived at 
the southeast corner of Sixteenth and Chestnut Streets of 
which the photograph has been taken. A few years since a 
consolidation took place between two most important 
establishments, the title now being The Powers-Weightman- 
Rosengarten Company, with a world-wide reputation, 
giving Philadelphia pre-eminence in the industry. 

Mrs. Rosengarten, whose portrait we are privileged to 
show, was Miss Richardson, a lovely, accomplished woman, 
a splendid musician, a linguist and well versed in literature, 
ancient and modern. Her correspondence entitled Eight 
Journeys Abroad has recently been published (with several 
hundred illustrations) as a memorial by her devoted husband. 

Mention has already been made of Mr. Rosengarten's 
brother, the late Joseph G. Rosengarten, one of Philadel- 
phia's best and noblest citizens. 

(177) 



i 7 8 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




1532 Chestnut Street, southeast corner of Sixteenth Street. Residence of 
George p. Rosengarten 



Past and Present 



179 




MRS. FRANK H. ROSENGARTEN' 

[Mary D. Richardson] 

1846- 1913 

{From the portrait in oil by Alice Kent Stoddard) 



1903 WALNUT STREET 

(27' x 140') 



— John D. Jones. 
1856 — Samuel Norris. 
1886 — Hannah and Emily Norris. 
1905 — Emily Norris Vaux. 



Henry Norris was the son of Joseph Parker Norris. He 
represented the third generation of Norrises to be born in 
this country, his ancestor, Isaac Norris, having arrived in 
Philadelphia from Jamaica in 1693. Henry Norris was 
born in 181 1 in the old Norris mansion, at present the site 
of the Custom House on Chestnut Street below Fifth. By 
birth a member of the Society of Friends, he later became 
affiliated with the Episcopal Church, but before his death 
returned to the Quaker fold. He lived to be 93 years of age, 
having enjoyed excellent health up until a few days of his 
death. He was a familiar figure on Walnut Street, where 
he could be seen disdainful of an overcoat, wearing a high 
silk hat, and with immaculately polished shoes. 

A further generation was Joseph Parker Norris, who 
was my classmate at Dr. Faires' Classical Institute in the 
late fifties of the last century. 

Mr. and Mrs. S. Megargee Wright are the present 
occupants. 



(180) 



Past and Present 



iSi 




HEXRY NORRIS 
1811 - 1904 



1901 WALNUT STREET 
Northwest corner of Nineteenth Street 

(ioo' x 140') 



i860 — James and John Slevin. 

iS7>4 — Algernon S. Roberts, and retained by his descendants. 



James Slevin was a well-known merchant at this period, 
his office was at 24S Chestnut Street. Our friend, William 




Northwest corner Nineteenth and Walnut Streets 
{Courtesy of Frank H. Taylor) 

C. Watson, told me some months since that he recalled 
the younger Slevin at this address when they were school- 
mates in the fifties of the last century. 

(1X2) 



Past and Present 183 

Here was erected a very handsome white marble house 
with columns in front, built by Philip Physick, a member 
of the Bar. His father being a man of means, every oppor- 
tunity was given to the son for a liberal education. Later 




PHILIP PHYSICK 

1807- 1848 
{From the portrait in oil by Thomas Sully; courtesy of Edward Conner, Esq.) 

he became interested in the cultivation of the mulberry tree 
for the silk worm and silk manufacture, which promised to 
be a successful industry at the time, and organizations were 
formed for the Moras Multicaulis; this went on for a period, 
the community was applied to for subscriptions, but the 



184 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

venture was not a success and he was obliged to relinquish 
his splendid establishment. As an indication of the atti- 
tude of well-known men of the period it may be stated 
that his father, the eminent Dr. Physick, Horace Binney, 
and a long array of prominent men petitioned the City Legis- 
lature not to introduce gas, pointing out the peril, disease 
and ruin it would cause. 




ALGERNON SYDNEY ROBERTS, Sr. 
1797- 1865 

The mansion finally came into the possession of Algernon 
Sydney Roberts, who occupied it until his death, and it was 
subsequently occupied by his son and daughters, the Misses 
Roberts, the last of whom recently died. The property was 
sold to a syndicate and announcement was made that an 
apartment house was to be erected thereon, but probably 
owing to difficulties of financial arrangement the plan has 
been abandoned and the property is again for sale. 



Past and Present 



185 



This splendid site will be used for the purpose lately 
intended as soon as normal conditions have been obtained. 

During the late war it was occupied for some time by 
the French War Relief Committee of the Emergency Aid 
of Pennsylvania, under the able management of the late 
Mrs. Cornelius Stevenson. 




Photo by Somers 

ALGERNON SYDNEY ROBERTS, Jr. 
1827- 1906 



Philadelphia grieves over the death of this noble woman. 
She was indeed an inspiration to young and old; to those 
who had the privilege of an intimate friendship, as also to 
the thousands who knew her only by the written word or by 
the record of her work accomplished. 

Of the many expressions of appreciation that have 
appeared in the public prints the resolutions adopted by the 
French War Relief Committee seem appropriate for inclu- 
sion at this time. 



i86 



RlTTENHOUSE SgUARE 



November 26, 1921: A memorial to the late Mrs. Cornelius 
Stevenson will be placed in the French villages of Villequier- 
Aumont and Ugny-le-Gay. That decision was reached yesterday 
by the French War Relief Committee of the Emergency Aid of 
Pennsylvania, which met at 221 South Eighteenth Street. The 
memorial will be erected with funds held by the French committee 



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MRS. CORNELIUS STEVENSON 

[Sara Yorke] 

1847- 1921 



which raised $1,500,000 under Mrs. Stevenson's chairmanship 
during the war. 

Resolutions of sympathy reflecting the beauty of the life of 
Mrs. Stevenson were adopted. They and the verses forming a 
part of them were written by Miss Frances Brinley Wharton, 
chairman of the Resolutions Committee and secretary of the 
French committee. Mrs. Joseph Leidy presided. 



Past and Present 187 

The resolutions read: 

"In the death of Mrs. Cornelius Stevenson the French War 
Relief Committee has lost the very mainspring of its being. 

"Ardent, eager, passionately devoted to the cause of France, 
with an unlimited power of work, she was a constant source of 
inspiration to all the members of her committee. Wise in counsel, 
fertile in resource, prompt in action, utterly unsparing of her time 
and strength, she was uniformly gentle, serene and tactful in her 
relations with others, and those who worked under her guidance 
know how generous and ready was her appreciation of every effort 
to second her. 

"She had a proud and valiant spirit, a warm heart, responding 
to all the varied emotions of human life, while her quick wit, her 
keen sense of mirth and her constant cheerfulness bore witness to 
the truth of the French proverb, 'La gaiete c'est la plus jolie 
forme du courage!' 

"The members of the French War Relief Committee unite in 
a deep sense of her loss, in gratitude for the privilege of working 
under such a leader, and in thankfulness that she lived to see the 
triumph of France and some of the results of her labors toward 
the reconstruction of that great country. Honors due honors 
were hers from the heads of the French Republic, though she did 
not, alas! live to share in the welcome which her city gave the great 
Marshal Foch, and to know the crowning happiness of being placed 
at his side at the banquet tendered to him. These honors she 
justly prized, but far, far more deeply the poignant gratitude of 
myriads of suffering French people, who were consoled, helped, 
healed, blessed, through her unfailing love and untiring devotion. 
Now she has passed on beyond, and her works do follow her, while 
her beloved memory remains to stir and inspire. 

"We do not ask for her eternal rest, 

It may be in some wider regions still 
Her tireless spirit works the Master's will 
And so is blest. 

"But let her know, forever calm and bright, 
A tranquil radiance, showing fair and clear 
All that seems strange and dark and troubled here — 
Perpetual light!" 



i88 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Sara Yorke Stevenson was born in Paris (of American 
parentage), where her youthful education was received. 
Joining her brothers in Mexico in 1862, she resided there 
until 1867, witnessing the tragic events that prevailed in 
that country during the period. Coming to Philadelphia, 
it was to her initiative and indomitable perseverance that 
the Archaeological Museum of the University of Pennsyl- 
vania was founded and continued on its successful career, 
and many of us believe that this is the most durable memorial 
to her earlier achievements. In later years Mrs. Stevenson's 
presentation to the public through the title of "Peggy Ship- 
pen" in the Philadelphia Public Ledger has brought her in 
close contact with the widest circle, exercising an influence 
of immeasurable importance. 




Coypriyht by Moses King 

COL. JOHN HARE POWEL 
Inspector-General, General Scott's Staff; State Senator; Stock Farmer; Art 

Collector 



1829 WALNUT STREET 
Northeast corner Nineteenth and Walnut Streets 

(50' x 235') 



— Samuel Powel. 
i860 — Alexander Brown. 
1902 — John H. McFadden. 

1917 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE REALTY COMPANY. 



On this site Samuel Powel constructed a fine brown-stone 
dwelling. Mr. Powel was born in West Philadelphia and 
Powelton takes its name from the family who were the prin- 
cipal owners of that section. John Hare Powel also lived 
here; he served as Inspector General U. S. Army in the 
years 18 14-15. 

Alexander Brown became the owner in i860; he was an 
accomplished gentleman, interested in all good works; for 
years was chairman of the Finance Committee and a liberal 
contributor to the treasury of the American Sunday School 
Union. His son, John A. Brown, Jr., lived here until his 
marriage, when he acquired No. 224 South Nineteenth Street, 
just referred to. 

Samuel Powel, the predecessor to the above, who lived 
at 39 Clinton Street prior to 1850, comments, "People here 
call this City 'Filthy Dirty' instead of 'Philadelphia." 
Today we look for a radical change under the present 
administration. 

John Howard McFadden was a Philadelphian by birth 
and association. Attending the Episcopal Academy he 
became a merchant at an early age and was soon known 

(189) 



190 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



internationally as a philanthropist, connoisseur and cotton 
merchant. Notwithstanding his continued interest in the 
firm of cotton brokers, he was a most liberal patron of the 
arts and medical science. In his frequent travels abroad 
Mr. McFadden became intimately acquainted with' all the 
great artists, sculptors, actors and medical men. Many 




ALEXANDER BROWX 

1857- 1893 

(Courtesy American Sunday School Union) 

institutions benefited by his philanthropy both here and 
abroad, and many private charities were aided in a modest 
and unassuming manner. The notable brown-stone man- 
sion so long a feature of the northeast corner of Nineteenth 
street and the Square, where Mr. McFadden lived for a 
number of years, was removed and the "Wellington" apart- 
ment house stands in its place. Mr. and Mrs. McFadden 



Past and Present 



191 



lived in specially prepared suites where were housed the 
finest privately owned collection of eighteenth-century 
English paintings in existence. He was always ready to 
place his collections at the disposal of artists and connoisseurs 
who wished to study the paintings. The collection is 




JOHN H. McPADDEN 
1850- 1921 



impressive, including as it does canvases by Romney, 
Raeburn, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Gainsborough, Sir Thomas 
Lawrence, Constable, Turner, and many other noted 
English painters. The munificent bequest of this collec- 
tion to the city of Philadelphia is a glorious acquisition and 
will place the name of John H. McPadden in the forefront 



192 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

of the City's benefactors, causing his name and character 
to be revered for all time. 

Mrs. McFadden, who was Miss Florence Bates, survived 
her husband but a few months. 

The members of the family are two sons, Philip and John 
H. McFadden, Jr., and a daughter, Mrs. Jasper Y. Brinton. 



1827 WALNUT STREET 

(zi' x 2 35') 



1856 — George I. Weaver. 

1865 — Alfred Fitler. 

1 88 1 — Clayton French. 

1891 — Robert K. McNeely. 

1920 — Philadelphia Art Alliance. 



In 1856 George I. Weaver was the resident and was engaged 
in ship chandlery on a large scale, the firm being an impor- 
tant one in the commercial history of our port. In 1870 Mr. 
Weaver was harbormaster of the Port of Philadelphia, a 
position full of responsibility. He was also associated with 
the late Edwin H. Fitler in the extensive rope-works of that 
company. 

In the year 1882 Clayton French occupied this house, a 
fine four-story brown-stone front building with high steps, a 
style of architecture that was prevalent at that time. Mr. 
French was the senior partner of French, Richards & Com- 
pany, manufacturing and wholesale chemists, whose exten- 
sive warehouse was on the northwest corner of Tenth and 
Market Streets, a landmark for several generations, and 
some of us can remember the great fire that took place, 
destroying the entire structure; the firm then occupied, 
temporarily, the vacant market house at Tenth above Chest- 
nut, now the Mercantile Library. Subsequently, the firm 
was dissolved, one branch being Smith, Kline & French at 
Fifth and Arch, a combination of several concerns, Harry 
B. French representing the original family; the other branch 
being Samuel H. French & Company at Fourth and Old York 
Road, of which Howard B. French is the surviving partner, 
a man widely known for his active participation in all good 
municipal work. 

(193) 



194 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Of Clayton French, his biographer notes his diligence in 
study in early life, which developed later into remarkable 
business acumen, resulting in exceptional financial success. 
Of his activities may be mentioned a special partnership in 
the firm of Bailey, Banks & Biddle, a director in the Guar- 
antee Trust and Safe Deposit Company, the Pennsylvania 




CLAYTON FRENCH 
1824- 1890 

Warehousing Company, the Pennsylvania Salt Manufactur- 
ing Company, the Charleston (S. C.) Mining and Manu- 
facturing Company, and from 1873 until the time of his 
death, member of the Executive Council of the Philadelphia 
Board of Trade. He was one of the organizers of the Phila- 
delphia Drug Exchange and a member of the first Board of 
Directors, serving for many years. 

Of Clayton French's grandsons, one well known is Clay- 
ton French Banks, one of the vice-presidents of the Guaranty 



Past and Present 195 

Trust Company of New York and the company's representa- 
tive in Philadelphia. 

In the thirties of the last century, members of the French 
family living nearby would visit Rittenhouse Square to shoot 
wild ducks as an early morning pastime. 




FRANK HASELTINE 
1840- 1910 



1825 WALNUT STREET 

(23' x 235') 



c. 1S21 — James Harper. 

1855 — Ward B. Haseltine. 
1890 — Frank Haseltine. 
1917 — Samuel P. Wetherill. 
191S — Philadelphia Art Alliance. 



Ward B. Haseltine, merchant in wholesale dry goods, was 
here in 1N59; his son Frank, whose picture is shown, also 
lived here as late as 1880. 

Ward B. Haseltine was one of the original members of 
the LInion Club which later developed into our present Union 
League. 

Frank Haseltine studied law, but was so deeply interested 
in art that he became a painter of portraits and landscape, his 
pictures being shown in exhibitions both here and in other 
cities. He traveled abroad extensively, and on his return 
to this country, surrounded bv books and art objects, his 
society was eagerly sought by friends and acquaintances. 
His mother, Mrs. Ward B. Haseltine, was the sister of Rev. 
Rufus H. Bent, now living in De Lancev Place. 



(196) 



1823 WALNUT STREET 

(44' x 235') 



— John Grigg. 
1867 — John A. Brown. 

1881 — Emma Audenried, wife of John T. Audenried. 
1917 — Samuel P. Wetherill. 
191 8 — Philadelphia Art Alliance. 



This is an extensive double-front, brown-stone house, also 
with high steps, erected and occupied by John Grigg, who 
adopted as his motto Bolingbroke's definition of biography: 
"The practical philosophy of life taught by examples." 
Mr. Grigg was a farmer's boy and, tiring of the country 
life, entered the merchant marine, acquiring habits of in- 
dustry, decision and self-reliance. When a vouth he lived 
in Richmond, Va., and in Warren County, Ohio, where 
he became clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and Chan- 
cery, winning the esteem of Justice McLean, of the Supreme 
Court of the United States, as also that of Thomas Corwin, 
later Secretary of the United States Treasury. 

From this position he was taken to be the superintendent 
of an extensive woolen mill in Kentucky, but, his ambition 
seeking a wider field, he came to Philadelphia, and, like Benja- 
min Franklin, without means, employment or outward sup- 
port, he soon secured a position, for, passing the bookstore of 
Benjamin Warner, he entered, applied for work, and, his 
personality being impressive, he was engaged and in a few 
years mastered the business, learning the name of every 
book in the establishment, its price, its place on the shelf 
and the publisher's name. Upon Mr. Warner's death his 
will designated Grigg as his proper successor in these words, 
"I consider John Grigg as possessing a peculiar talent for the 

(197) 



198 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



book-selling business, very industrious, and, after years of 
observation, I have found nothing in his conduct to raise a 
doubt in my mind as to his possessing correct principles." 
Gngg's friends applied to him the sentiment first attached 




JOHN GRIGG 

1792- 1864 

(Courtesy of Hie J. B. Lippincott Company) 



to Constable, of Edinburgh, Sir Walter Scott's publisher 
and printer, "Napoleon of the Realm of Print." After the 
settlement of the Warner estate, Henry C. Carey, to whom 
had been submitted the papers, stated, "No business had 
ever been managed with more tact and skill than this com- 



Past and Present 199 

plicated estate." However, the executor decided to close 
the estate, and young Gngg, out of work, consulted Joseph 
Gushing, of Baltimore, an eminent citizen of that city, and a 
bookseller and publisher of repute whom I had the privilege 
of knowing in the early years of my own business career. 



JOHN A. BROWX 

1788- 1872 

{Courtesy American Sunday School Union) 

Cushing persuaded Grigg to start his own establishment, 
which he did on Fourth Street above Market, where he 
greatly prospered, retiring in 1856, being succeeded by 
Joshua B. Lippincott, a successful bookseller and publisher, 
to whom reference has just been made. 

After the death of Mrs. Grigg, the property was sold in 
1867 to John A. Brown, who had lived at the southeast 
corner of Twelfth and Chestnut, which later had been pur- 



200 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



chased by the late Dr. S. S. White, the world's foremost 
manufacturer of dental material. 

Mr. Brown was interested in the welfare of the American 
Sunday School Union, being president from 1861 to 1872. 
This merchant, banker and philanthropist was born in 
Ballymena, Ireland, and, owing to political agitation, he 
emigrated with his father, a man of ample fortune, to Balti- 
more at the beginning of the 19th century. Coming to 




Copyright by Ifotts King 

John A. Brown's residence, southeast corner Twelfth and Chestnut Streets, 

in 1828 

Philadelphia to represent the firm's interests, he soon be- 
came an important member of the community and was 
chosen director in the U. S. Bank at the time of the 
presidency of Nicholas Biddle. 

I quote from a publication of the American Sunday 
School Union: 

Like an experienced pilot, he was able to steer it amid con- 
flicting projects, bitter animosity and divided counsels, which 



Past and Present 



20 i 



endangered its life. Under his administration, as president, the 
Society came safely through the greatest crisis in the history of 
the Country. Its affairs were extricated from confusion without 
jarring the harmony which has been restored between its manage- 
ment and friends. 




JOHN T. AUDEXRIED 
1838- 1884 



The house subsequently became the property of John T. 
Audenried, who was interested in the development of coal- 
fields; he was a member of the Committee of 100 of 1881. 
His son is the present Honorable Charles Y. Audenried, 
Judge of Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia. Recently, 
with the adjoining Nos. 1825 and 1827, it has been presented 



202 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



to the Art Alliance, through the generosity of Samuel Price 
Wetherill. 

Col. Thomas A. Scott, when vice-president of the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad Company, was a tenant in 1867. 

Mr. and Mrs. Jason Waters also lived here for a \ ear or 
two; Mrs. Waters was the daughter of George S. Pox, the 
well-known banker. 




MRS. JOHN T. AUDENRIED 
[Emma Young, daughter of Charles Your 
1842 - 1900 



1821 WALNUT STREET 

(22' X235') 



1 82 1 — James Harper. 
i860 — George F. Peabody. 
1885 — Cecilia Moore. 
1897 — Joseph Moore, Jr. 



Built in 1857 by George F. Peabody, of the Gloucester 
Manufacturing Company, or Print Works, upon ground and 
with bricks presented to him by his father-in-law, James 
Harper, of whom something will be stated later. 

In 1885 Mrs. Joseph Moore purchased the property, and 
upon her death in June, 1897, her son, Joseph Moore, Jr., 
became the owner. Mrs. Moore was a sister of Edwin H. 
Fitler, former mayor of Philadelphia. 

Mr. Moore was a bachelor,, a man of attractive person- 
ality and fine attainments. An author of distinction, his 
books were well known, both here and in Europe, and his 
contributions on kindred subjects had made him a Fellow 
of the Royal Geographical Society and of the French Society 
of Geography. 

Mr. Moore passed through the entire Friends' Educa- 
tional System and received his early business training in the 
dry goods house of Jacob Riegel & Company, the leading 
firm in the early days of our generation. Withdrawing from 
business in 1876, he devoted years to travel and study, 
covering Europe, Asia, Africa and America, studying French 
at Blois, German at Hanover, and international law under 
the late Dr. Francis Wharton. 

Of his many activities in his native city may be men- 
tioned membership in the Board of Managers of Drexel 

(203) 



20 4 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Institute; the Academy of Music Corporation, prior to its 
recent transfer to the body of which Mr. Edward W. Bok is 
president; Edwin Forrest Home for Actors, of which he was 
once president; for many years chairman of the Member- 




Photo by Gray- -II', < 'urns Taylor .t- i 'v . 

MRS. JOSEPH MOORE 

[Cecilia Pitler] 

1820 - 1897 

ship Committe of The Union League; trustee of the Fair- 
mount Park Art Association in earlier years; director m 
the Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company, the Penn- 
sylvania Warehousing Company, the County Fire Insurance 



Past and Present 



205 



Company, and the Franklin Fire Insurance Company. The 
position in later years to which he gave most attention was 
the presidency of the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing 
Company. 

Mr. Moore died in February, 1921, bequeathing his large 
estate to the creation of an institution for the education of 
young girls — a noble benefaction. 




I'hoto by Phillip* 



JOSEPH MOORE, Jr. 
1849- 1921 



206 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




SAMUEL F. FISHER 



1819 WALNUT STREET 

(22' 8"x23 5 ') 



c. i860 — Samuel F. Fisher. 
1862 — George S. Pepper. 

— Sabine J. Weightman, widow ofWm. Weightman, Jr. 



Samuel F. Fisher was the predecessor of the Fisher family 
which has always been prominent in the intellectual and social 
life of the community. In commercial life he was president 
of the Lehigh Zinc Co., treasurer of the Pennsylvania Salt 
Manufacturing Co., and it was from this latter that the copy 
of his likeness was obtained from a group picture of the direc- 
torate, he being one of the early incorporators, since its 
charter dates from the year 1850. 

George S. Pepper was a native of Philadelphia, a graduate 
of Princeton and studied law with Horace Binney. Of his 
many activities may be noted his interest in the founding of 
the American Academy of Music at Broad and Locust 
Streets, of which he was chairman of the Building Com- 
mittee in 1857 and later president of the Board. He was 
president of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 
succeeding James L. Claghorn on the latter's death. He 
was an active member of The Union League and president 
of the Rittenhouse Club, to which he bequeathed his splendid 
library, and those who have had the privilege of membership 
in the Club feel a sense of gratitude to the memory of Mr. 
Pepper for this munificent gift. 

Other members of the familv have won distinction in 
Philadelphia's annals: William Piatt Pepper, president of 
the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, and 
Dr. William Pepper, provost of the University of Pennsyl- 

(207) 



208 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



vania, a physician of eminence and one of the main support- 
ers if not the founder of our Free Library; and the present 
Hon. George Wharton Pepper, of national repute, recently 
appointed U. S. Senator from Pennsylvania. 




GEORGE S. PEPPER 
1808- 1890 

(From the painting by Vonnoh: courtesy of Rittcnlioiist 



William Weightman lived here about the year 1893, and 
later his son and daughter-in-law, who was Miss D'lnvilhers. 
Subsequent to the death of Mr. Weightman, Jr., his widow 
became the wife of Jones Wister. Mrs. W ister is still resident 
there. 

Jones Wister was born in the family homestead in Bel- 
field, Germantown. He was an enthusiastic cricketer and 



Past and Present 



209 



vitally interested in all out-door sports, although finding 
time to serve as trustee of the Pennsylvania Museum and 
School of Industrial Art, an institution that has taken front 
rank in the Country's efforts for high standards of art in the 
industries. Mr. Wister was a member of The Union League 
and an earnest supporter of the National Government during 
the critical days of the Civil War. 




Photo by Phillips 



JONES WISTER 
1839- 1917 



210 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




WILLIAM G. COCHRAN 
1799- 1883 



1817 WALNUT STREET 

(22' X" x 235') 



c. 1855 — John Grigg. 

1859 — William G. Cochran. 

1890 — Virginia R. C. MacVeagh, wife of Wayne MacVeagh. 

1900 — Edward M. Robinson. 

1908 — Henry C. Trumbower. 



William G. Cochran was born in Person County, N. C. 
and came to Philadelphia in the year 1825, first embarking 
in the shipping business, but later becoming one of the largest 
wine importers in the United States. Mr. Cochran was a 
director of the Citizens' Passenger Railway Company, of 
the Philadelphia National Bank, and interested in many 
other financial institutions. 

Wayne MacVeagh was a graduate of Yale and during 
the Civil War was captain of infantry and later major of 
cavalry. Of his public career may be mentioned: U. S. 
Minister to Turkey, 1870-71; U. S. Attorney General, 
1881, in President Garfield's Cabinet; U. S. Ambassador 
to Italy, 1893-97; Chief Counsel U. S. in 1903 at the Ven- 
ezuelan Arbitration and at The Hague Tribunal. Although 
he was the son-m-law of Simon Cameron, a political power 
at the time, he led a successful revolt against that dominant 
influence. Mr. MacVeagh was born in Phoenixville, Pa. 
During his college life he showed the remarkable qualities 
of irony and sarcasm that distinguished his political career. 

Mrs. MacVeagh was Virginia R. Cameron, daughter of 
Simon Cameron, Secretary of War in the cabinet of Abra- 
ham Lincoln, then Minister to Russia and later U. S. Sen- 

(211) 



:i2 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




'S. 



5 i 



O 2 



/J 

c 



Past and Present 



213 



ator from Pennsylvania. Her brother, J. Donald Cameron, 

was also U. S. Senator from our State for a number of years. 

Edward Moore Robinson was associated with Drexel 

& Co., as were his father and step-father, J. Hood Wright. 




EDWARD MOORE ROBINSON 

1867 or 1868- 1910 

(Photograph by Haessler from /he painting by Julian Story) 

Mr. Robinson was of distinguished appearance and had 
hosts of friends. His wife was Alene Ivers, a woman of 
remarkable beauty and great attainments. 

Mrs. Robinson predeceased her husband by only a few 
days. 



2I 4 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




Pfwto by Wenderotll 



ROBERT S. STURGIS 
1824- 1876 



1815 WALNUT STREET 

(22' 8" x 2 3S ') 



c. 1852 — John R. Worrell. 
1862 — Robert S. Sturgis. 
1874 — Susan B. Sturgis. 
1901 — Henrietta A. S. Ingersoll, wife of Charles E. Ingersoll. 



The three houses, 1815, 1817 and 1819, were built bv John 
R. Worrell, a man of affluence and noted as merchant and 
broker, whose office was at 138 South Third Street. Mr. 
Worrell occupied No. 181 5, and in 1862 Robert S. Sturgis, 
a native of Massachusetts, came to Philadelphia from Boston 
to enjoy the advantages of our milder climate. 

Mr. Sturgis lived in China in his earlier years, his father 
being largely engaged in Chinese trade. 

Mrs. Sturgis survived her husband for a number of years 
and was greatly admired for her personal attractions and 
generous hospitality. Her daughters ranked as the most 
beautiful young women in Philadelphia — Mrs. Charles 
Edward Ingersoll, who with Mr. Ingersoll is now resident 
therein; Mrs. James Potter; Mrs. Robert LeConte; and 
Mrs. Edgar Scott. 



(215) 



2l6 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




.MRS. ROBERT S. STURGIS 
183S- 1900 



1813 WALNUT STREET 

(26' 6" x 235') 



1S21 — James Harper. 
1S54 — Harriet S. Dodson. 
1870 — Thomas Sparks. 
1890 — Rittenhouse Club. 



Richard W. Dodson had a wide circle of friends in Phila- 
delphia. His daughter Sarah was a beautiful girl and an 
artist excelling in black-and-white sketches. After Mr. 
Dodson's death the family left Philadelphia and settled in 
Brighton, England. 

Thomas Sparks is represented as a member of the Gray 
Reserves; a later portrait is of the mature man, owner of 
the noted Shot Tower near the Old Swedes' Church. Mr. 
Sparks was vice-president of the Southwark National Bank, 
president of the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Com- 
pany, vestryman of St. James' Episcopal Church, now at 
Twenty-second and Walnut, formerly on Seventh above 
Market, in front of which were splendid shade trees which 
had to yield to the inroads of commerce. 

Thomas Weston Sparks was a grand-nephew of Thomas 
Sparks, builder and original owner of the old Philadelphia 
Shot Tower at Front and Carpenter Streets. He entered 
the shot-manufacturing business with his father at the age 
of seventeen, in which he continued until 1905, when he 
retired. 

Mr. Sparks was a member of the vestry and rector's 
warden of Old Swedes' Church; senior director of the Penn- 
sylvania Salt Works; member of the Franklin Institute, 
Historical Society and of several Masonic organizations. 

(217) 



218 



R ITT E N HO U S E Sq I'ARE 



He^was a descendant of the Richard Sparks who was interred 
in the year 1716 on Fifth Street in front of the present 
Bourse building, an enclosure remembered by those of mv 
generation. The spot is now marked bv a pavement tablet 
suitably inscribed recounting the circumstances attending 
the removal to New Jersey in 1894. 




RICHARD W. DODSON 
1S12- 1S67 



Past and Present 



219 



The Richard Sparks Burial Ground 

For The Seventh Day Baptists 

Established A. D. 1716 

Taken for widening Fifth Street A. D. 1894 

I his tablet designates the plot of ground devised by Richard 
Sparks as a burial ground for the use of the Society ot Seventh 




MRS. RICHARD W. DODSON 
[Harriet Styles Ball] 

1S22 - 1902 



220 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Day Baptists and in which he was interred in the year 1716. 
Members of this Society were here buried until 1802, and the 
grounds remained unchanged until taken by the City in 1894. 

To perpetuate the gift of Richard Sparks, the Seventh Day 
Baptist Churches of Piscataway, New Market, Middlesex County; 




MISS SARAH PAXTON BALL DODSON 
1847- 1906 



and Shiloh, Cumberland County, New Jersey, have set apart a 
plot of ground in Shiloh S. D. B. Cemetery, in which is placed 
the monument which was here erected; and the original records 
are now in the custody of the said churches. 



Past and Present 



221 



One of the noted citizens buried here was John Cad- 
walader, the great-great-great-grandfather of our present 
distinguished fellow-citizen, the Hon. John Cadwalader. 

The Rittenhouse Club was organized under the title ot 
Social Art Club in the year 1875 by a group of men inter- 
ested in art and literature. Its first home was at 1525 
Chestnut Street, a spacious house with a garden, but the 




THOMAS SPARKS 
Member Gray Reserves, 1861 



222 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

advance of commercial interests indicated the desirability 
of ownership in a residence neighborhood, so that 1811 
Walnut Street was acquired in the year 1878, followed by 
the purchase of the adjoining property, 1813 Walnut Street, 
in 1890. The first president was Theodore Cuyler, followed 
by Dr. Caspar Wister, George S. Pepper, Hon. Craig Biddle, 
and Thomas De Witt Cuyler in the order named. 




THOMAS SPARKS 
1817- 1874 



Past and Present 223 

In the year 1888, the Art Club having been established, 
it was considered advisable to change the name from the 
Social Art Club to the Rittenhouse Club, which was accord- 
ingly accomplished, although not without opposition from 
some of the members. 




Photo by Keely, Philadelphia 

MRS. THOMAS SPARKS 

[Annie Eliza Brown] 

1819- 1890 



To accentuate the opening of the club house when estab- 
lished facing Rittenhouse Square, a reception was given, 
attended by the members and their friends to whom a 



224 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

limited number of invitations had been extended, the latter 
including wives, sisters and sweethearts who were thus 
privileged to inspect the quarters where their male relatives 
derived inspiration from books and pictures of choice quality 
and beautv. 




Photo by Phoiocraflt'rs 

THOMAS WESTON SPARKS 
1854- 1921 



An architectural feature of merit has been the removal 
of the discordant faces of the two buildings and the erection 
of an attractive unified front. 



1811 WALNUT STREET 

(28' 3" x 235') 



1821 — James Harper. 

1878 — Social Art Club (now the Rittenhouse Club). 



[From the memorial address by James Page] 

James Harper was born in Tyrone County, Ireland, in 
1780 and came to Philadelphia with his parents and family 
in 1791, where he served his time to the art of brick-making, 
later establishing the business which he pursued successfully 




Residence of James Harper, 1811 Walnut Street 

(Sketched by Kennedy. Courtesy of Historical Society of Pennsylvania) 

until his retirement in 1848. He was the first to originate 
the process of making bricks by machinery, but the opposi- 
tion to its adoption was so keen that the yard and all the 
machinery therein was destroyed by a mob in 1844. 

(225) 



226 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Harper took an interest in communal affairs, being a 
member of the Board of Guardians of the Poor; also of the 
Board of Prison Inspectors and of the Philadelphia Common 
Council, 1821-22. In 1832 he sat in the U. S. Congress with 
his colleague, Hon. Horace Binney, and in 1834 with the 




JAMES HARPER 
1780- 1873 

(From the engraving by Bather, jV. Y.; courtesy of the librarian of the Masonic Temple at Philadelphia) 

Hon. Joseph R. Ingersoll. He had the honor of presiding 
at the banquet given to General Lafayette, on the occasion 
of the latter's visit to Philadelphia in 1824. 

Harper's brickyards were on the north side of Walnut 
between Eighteenth and Nineteenth Streets, a section that 



Past and Present 



227 



he had bought at one dollar per foot and had disposed of 
from time to time at twenty dollars per foot. About the 
year 1840 he erected the first dwelling in the block; it had 
a handsome white marble portico and people would take 
their Sunday walk to see this extraordinary structure, 




Xos. 1815, 1813, and 1811 Walnut Street 



probably the only one of its character in the City. The 
bricks that he made were used in the construction of the 
Lippincott mansion at Broad and Walnut Streets; they 
bore his initials, J. H., stamped in the clay just as was done 
in the Babylonian tablets thousands of years ago. 



22S 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



*H 




WILLIAM CAUL 
1804- 1868 




1 9 3 '3 3 U j 
I 9 3 ? g J 

1 y if ii.i.a 



*■* 



ill 

4 t * 



Jfcs." 



!i 



'&L 



S'SJ : W.YU 



Perott's Mall House, northeast corner Spruce and Twenty-first Streets 
[Sketched by Kennedy. < 'ourtesy of Historical Society of Pennsylvania) 



1809 WALNUT STREET 

(25' 3" x 235') 



1862 — William Gaul. 
1863 — Sarah Jane Potter. 
1866 — Rosine E. Groesbeck. 
1884 — Thomas Dolan. 
1914 — Sarah Brooke Dolan. 



William Gaul was a brewer prior to and during the early 
sixties. At one time he was associated with Theodore C. 
Lewis in the firm of Gaul & Lewis, manufacturers of malt. 
The illustration shows the Perott malthouse which stood at 
the northeast corner of Twenty-first and Spruce Streets, a 
building well remembered by those of us who lived in that 
neighborhood. 

Mrs. Rosine E. Groesbeck was a Miss Benoist, from 
Louisiana, who lived here about the year 1867. R. Benoist 
Groesbeck, presumably the son of the above, was known as 
the "Duke" on account of the lavishness of his entertain- 
ments. There are members of the family now in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, and William G. Groesbeck is a resident in Philadelphia 
nearby this historic neighborhood. 

Thomas Dolan, a native of Montgomery County of our 
State, was a prominent citizen occupying important posi- 
tions in manufacturing organizations of a municipal char- 
acter. Having acquired a large fortune, he retired from 
business, directing his attention to public utilities, partic- 
ularly the United Gas Improvement Company, many street 
railways, and industries of that character. He was a staunch 
Republican, one of the first members of The Union League, 

(229) 



23° 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




MRS. ROSINE GROESBECK 

{Photograph ft// Sherry, Saratoga Springs, N . Y.) 




BENOIST GROESBECK 



Past and Present 



131 



and a vice-president tor several years; was a strong sup- 
porter of the high protective tariff, and among his other 
activities was membership in the directorate of the Finance 
Company of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Electric Company 




Pholo fin Gulekunst 



THOMAS DOLAN 
1834- 1914 



and the School of Industrial Art; notwithstanding all of 
these, he was a lover of literature, had a splendid library in 
his country home at Torresdale on the Delaware, and in his 
city house. 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




Photo hi/ (luti Iru/hst 



THEODORE C. LEWIS 
1824- 1866 



1807 WALNUT STREET 

(22' x 141') 



1 82 1 — James Harper. 

1849 — James Markoe. 

1851 — Theodore C. Lewis. 

1862 — Alfred D. Jessup. 

1863 — Frances A. Lawrence, wife of Francis C. Lawrence. 

1871 — Alexander B. and Samuel Carver. 

1907 — Louis Plumer Posey, M.D. 



Theodore C. Lewis, after receiving an academic education, 
first entered the business house of Johnston & Tingley, which 
later became Tingley, Burton & Co., wholesale dry goods, 
on Market Street. 

After several successful voyages as supercargo to China 
he became a member of the firm of John A. Lewis & Co., in 
the Chinese, Portuguese and English general commission 
business, from which he retired to become associated with 
his wife's uncle, William Gaul, in the firm of Gaul & Lewis, 
manufacturers of malt. 

James Harper was also the owner as early as 1S21 when 
this whole section was brickyards. In 1881 Alexander Burton 
Carver became the owner and lived here until his death in 
1905. During his early life he was connected with the 
diplomatic service at Cadiz, Spain. Returning to Philadel- 
phia in 1845, he established the firm of A. B. Carver & Com- 
pany, conveyancers, of which his brother was a member. 
They were both bachelors and frequently could be seen 
encircling the Square for an evening walk, inseparable com- 
panions. They were both members of Holy Trinity Church 

(233) 



234 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



and of secular institutions, such as the Historical and Hor- 
ticultural Societies and many charitable organizations. 

Louis Plumer Posey, M.D., was a Philadelphian by 
birth, receiving his preliminary education at the Episcopal 
Academy. He entered the University of Pennsylvania and 




ALEXANDER BURTOX CARVER 
1816- 1905 



Past and Present 235 

later graduated from Hahnemann Medical College. A man 
of agreeable personality, added to professional skill, he 
commanded an extensive practice and wide recognition from 
those of the school he had adopted. 




DR. LOUIS PLUMER POSEY 
1863- 1917 



236 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




FREDERICK J. SYLVESTER 
1812- 1893 



1805 WALNUT STREET 

(22' x 145') 



— Susan Van Syckel. 
1864 — Sarah Sylvester. 
1882 — Sarah Cazenove Roberts. 
1907 — John V. Shoemaker, M.D. 



In the year 1858 Alfred Slade lived here; he was a com- 
mission merchant with offices at No. 39 Letitia Street. 

Frederick J. Sylvester came to Philadelphia from Liver- 
pool, England. He was a member of the Philadelphia Stock 
Exchange. 

His two sons, Frederick and Charles, recently deceased, 
were prominent in real-estate circles. 

G. Theodore Roberts, who died in New York recentlv, 
was the owner in 1886. He was the son of Algernon Sidney 
Roberts, just referred to at Nineteenth and Walnut Streets. 
With other members of the family he was interested in the 
development of the anthracite coal-fields, near Hazleton. 
Fond of travel, he spent many years abroad. His daughter 
is Miss Elizabeth W. Roberts, of Concord, Mass. A niece 
is Mrs. Walter S. Wyatt, of the Wellington, in Philadelphia, 
to whom I am indebted for the photographs. 

Dr. John V. Shoemaker was a native of Chambersburg, 
Pa., and a graduate of Dickinson College, noted for its list 
of graduates who have become eminent in all walks of life. 
Dr. Shoemaker was a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, 
and so high was his class-rank that he was offered the posi- 
tion of demonstrator of anatomy and later was chosen lec- 
turer on various subjects at the Philadelphia School of 
Anatomy. 

A monument to the scope of his humanitarian activities 
was the founding of a dispensary for the treatment of 
cutaneous diseases, in which little instruction was given 
at that time. 

(237) 



: 3 8 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



In 1889 Dr. Shoemaker took the chair of pharmacology, 
therapeutics and clinical medicine at the Medico-Chirurgical 
College. 

While he soon became eminent in local circles, his fame 
spread until his name was known throughout the medical 




GEORGE THEODORE ROBERTS 
1838- 1921 

world by reason of his many publications, especially in the 
field of research. 

In fact, his activities amazed his associates, since not 
only did he follow his private practice with conscientious 
care, but his membership in various medical societies, both 
American and foreign, brought many responsibilities in the 



Past and Present 



2 39 



form of addresses here and abroad and voluminous contri- 
butions to medical literature. 

It was his frequent custom to remain in the study until 
3 o'clock in the morning, completing articles for medical 




Photo by Marceau 

DR. JOHN V. SHOEMAKER 
1852- 1910 

journals, revising proof and making exhaustive effort in 
research. 

The demands upon his time and skill were continuous 
and he was a sacrifice to the science of healing, whose arts 
were used upon all except himself. 



240 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




WILLIAM R. LEJEE 
1812- 1894 



1801-1803 WALNUT STREET 

(44' x 145') 



c. 182S — James Harper. 
1849 — William R. Lejee. 
1895 — Sarah Drexel Fell, wife of John R. Fel 



William R. Lejee was a banker and broker and at one time 
a partner with Edward S. Whelen. He was born on Lake 




Residence of William R. Lejee, northwest corner Eighteenth and Walnut Streets 

Geneva, his father was a lieutenant in the army of the first 
Napoleon; resigning his commission, he came to America. 
I remember Mr. Lejee as courtly in manner and appearance, 

(241) 



242 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

always perfectly dressed, intelligent and a man of affairs. 
The niece, Miss Eugenia J. Marshall, to whom I am indebted 
for the portrait and the illustration of the house, lives at 
191 1 South Rittenhouse Square. 

The property was subsequently acquired by Mr. and 
Mrs. Alexander Van Rensselaer in 1898, and the attractive 
stone dwelling was erected thereon, where entertainment 
is afforded not only to friends, but to all notable strangers 
visiting the City, supporting the reputation of Philadelphia 
for a generous hospitality. 




Copyright by Moses King 



Alexander Van Rensselaer residence, Rittenhouse Square, Walnut Street 
northwest corner Eighteenth Street 



C3 y^A'ZfS" C0RNER » EIGHTEENTH AND WALNUT 
STREETS 



^ Q 2i 



(62' x 12s') 



1858 — Anna H. Wilstach. 

1893 — Margarita A. Drexel, wife of Anthony J. Drexel, Jr. 

1899 — Frances A. Gibbs, wife of William W. Gibbs. 

1913 — Charles J. McIlvain, Jr. 



In 1853 James Tennent lived here, the corner being known 
at the time as Schuylkill Fifth Street. He was the senior 
member of the dry goods firm of Tennent, Dernckson & 
Company, at 93 High Street (now Market Street) and 22 
Church Alley. In 1858 William P. Wilstach became the 
owner; he was engaged in the saddlery business, and left 
a handsome fortune as well as a fine collection of works of 
art, which were bequeathed to the City of Philadelphia and 
have been for many years a great attraction in the galleries 
at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. 

Mrs. Wilstach survived her husband for some years, a 
period devoted to deeds of kindness and philanthropy, 
thus continuing the acts that had marked his career. The 
Apprentices' Library, churches, hospitals and orphan asy- 
lums were beneficiaries, and special note should be taken 
of the Holy Trinity Memorial Chapel, a gift by Mrs. Wil- 
stach in memory of her daughter, Gertrude Wilstach, the 
lovely girl whose death at an untimely age had been a sorrow 
not only to the widowed mother but to the members of the 
congregation who had taken the deepest interest in her 
baptism and confirmation. 

For some years subsequent to 1893 Colonel and Mrs. 
Anthony J. Drexel, Jr., were the owners and residents. 

(243) 



>44 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



In the year 1900 William W. Gibbs became the owner 
and he commissioned Albert Kelsey (the architect of the 
Pan-American Building in Washington, a splendid struc- 
ture) to make radical changes in the character of the 
house, all of which were carried out, there being a hand- 
some railing on Eighteenth Street showing the approach 




W. P. WILSTACH 
1816- 1870 



Past and Present 



245 



to a porte cochere, unusual in character and artistically 
accomplished. 

Not long since this was removed and at present the site is 
occupied by an apartment house, undoubtedly of permanent 
character. 




MRS. W. P. WILSTACH 
1814- 1892 



246 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




Northeast corner Eighteenth and Walnut Streets 

(Courtesy of architect, Albert Kelsey) 



1724 WALNUT STREET 
Southeast corner Eighteenth and Walnut Streets 

(42' x 175') 



— John H. Edwards. 
1864 — Sir Charles Edward Keith and Lady Kortright. 
1S95 — William Weightman. 



My earliest recollection of this property is its occupancy 
by George W. Edwards,* who built it, the owner of the St. 
George Hotel at Broad and Walnut, later the Stratford, 
and now the Bellevue-Stratford. In 1849 Mr. Edwards 
was presented with a splendid silver service by the Reading 
Railroad Co. for a successful financial operation that he 
had carried through. In 1862 the house was occupied by 
Sir Charles Edward Keith Kortright, British Consul in 
Philadelphia, who had married the daughter of John Rich- 
ardson, president of the Bank of North America from 1840 
to 1857. Mr. Richardson lived next door at 1722 Walnut 
Street; his daughter inherited much wealth, and Sir Charles 
and Lady Kortright entertained handsomely throughout 
their career. 

Sir Charles Kortright was appointed consul at Car- 
thagena, New Granada, May 30, 1844; was Acting French 
consul there from 1851 till 1856, and received the thanks of 
the French Government; was appointed consul for the 
State of Pennsylvania, to reside at Philadelphia, July 1, 1857; 
and consul for the States of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, 
Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, to reside at Phila- 
delphia, February 9, 1871; was an honorary commissioner 
to the British section of the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876. 
Was knighted October 21, i£ 



* See Appendix I., page 304. 

(247) 



248 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Lady Kortright was a liberal contributor to all forms of 
charity; she was especially interested in the Presbyterian 
Hospital, endowing the Richardson Ward there, and estab- 
lishing the Richardson Home at Devon; endowing the 
Richardson Memorial Church, Walnut Street below Sixtieth, 




GEORGE W. EDWARDS 
1805- 1861 

(From the portrait in oil by courtesy of George Edwards FiUerman) 

and finally leaving a million dollars to be divided between four 
Presbyterian objects — home and foreign missions, relief 
work, etc. 

Later, about 1880, the property was occupied by Miss 
Roberts, who became the wife of Count Goffredo Galli, 



Past and Present 



249 



Italian consul at Philadelphia; Countess Galli was the 
sister of Algernon S. Roherts, who lived at Nineteenth and 
Walnut, to whom reference has been made. 

The Count and Countess entertained delightfully in 
their spacious home, open at all times to distinguished 
Americans and to accredited foreigners. 

Then, in 1898, William Weightman, of Powers & Weight- 
man, became the owner and made many changes in its 




Old Stratford Hotel, southwest corner Broad and Walnut Streets 

external appearance. He was the largest individual owner 
of real estate in Philadelphia. In August, 1920, a writer 
to the Philadelphia Public Ledger signing himself "Anti- 
quary," commenting upon Peggy Shippen's Diary of the 
twentieth of that month, stated that "the front of this house 
was constructed of wood and sanded to make it appear like 
brown stone." 

Upon reading this paragraph I asked the editor of the 
Public Ledger for the name and address of "Antiquary"; 



250 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



they were unable to furnish it, since all records of that 
character were not retained. Some days later, calling upon 
William W. Longstreth at his office in Walnut Place, the 
conversation turned to Old Philadelphia, when he remarked, 




Photo by Guttkuml 

SIR CHARLES EDWARD KEITH KORTRIGHT 
1813- 1888 

"My neighbor, Mr. Stevenson Hockley Walsh, has a picture 
of the old Quaker buildings that formerly stood on this 
site." We crossed the passage-way and inspected the 
interesting illustrations. In discussing old Philadelphia I 
referred to "Antiquary's" letter to the Ledger, upon which 



Past and Present 



251 



Mr. Walsh announced that he was the writer who had 
assumed that title, and confirmed his statement, explaining 
that when the front of the house was removed he had in- 
spected the d bris lying on the pavement, consisting of the 
sanded wood as noted above. 




LADY KORTRIGHT 

(From a painting, by courtesy of the officers of the Presbyterian Hospital, West Philadelphia) 



Mr. Weightman was a native of Waltham, in Lincoln- 
shire, England. Coming to America as a youth, he became 
associated with John Farr, a manufacturer of chemicals in 
Dock Street and the pioneer in the introduction of quinine 



2 C2 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



in this country. New machinery was soon created for the 
extraction of the drug from Peruvian bark, followed by the 
manufacture of morphia and many other important chem- 
icals. Maintaining the highest standard of quality, the out- 




Pholo by Gulekunst 

COUNT GOFFREDO GALLI 
1845- 1899 

put soon commanded the widest support. Mr. Weightman 
was interested in floriculture, a chrysanthemum being known 
by his name, and he was always a generous contributor to 
the flower shows. He was reputed to be the largest indi- 
vidual owner of real estate in Philadelphia, making a practice 



Past and Present 



253 



to purchase blocks of old houses, have them demolished, 
and erect in their place modern dwellings or business estab- 
lishments as the neighborhood might demand. Powers and 
Weightman were the owners of the house (334 South Twenty- 




PhotoJiy'W. Curtis Taylor 

COUNTESS GALLI 

[Clara Roberts] 

1847- 1911 



first Street) which we rented at the time of our marriage, 
subsequently purchased in 1884, and I can assert there was 
never a more considerate landlord during our tenancy than 
Mr. Weightman, then the surviving partner. 



254 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Mr. Weightman was interested in the School of Indus- 
trial Art, being impressed by its practical worth and capa- 
bilities. When asked the secret of his health and longevity, 
he would state that a regular schedule of living with the 




Photo by Rau 

WM. WEIGHTMAN, 1898 
1813- 1904 



attention given in his youth and early manhood to practical 
and healthful athletics was responsible in large measure for 
his good physical condition. 

Mr. Weightman was a director of the Philadelphia Trust 
Company, of the Northern Trust Company, and of the 



Past and Present 



255 



Commercial National Bank and associated with many 
important financial enterprises. In 1875 the Elliott Cresson 
gold medal was awarded the firm by the Franklin Institute 
for the introduction of an industry new in the United States, 
for the ingenuity and skill shown in the manufacture, and 
for the perfection of workmanship. 

It is known that Mr. Weightman was anxious to enlist 
in the Army at the time of the Civil War, but government 
authorities assured him that his leadership in the production 
of necessary chemicals was vital to the welfare of the troops, 
a fact well recognized at that period. 




Copyright by Moses Kind 

Southeast corner Eighteenth and Walnut Streets 



256 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




JOHN RICHARDSON 

President of the Bank of North America, 1840 - 57 



1722 WALNUT STREET 

(42' x 175') 



— Edward S. Whelen. 
185 1 — John Richardson. 



In the year 1781 Congress passed the ordinance incorpo- 
rating the Bank of North America, the first bank so chartered 
in the United States. In 1864 the bank came under the 
National Bank Act and by consent of the Comptroller of 
the Currency was permitted to omit the prefix "National," 
thus retaining its original title. 

Thomas Willing was the first president, a man whose 
character and ability shed luster on his City and Country. 
Horace Binney's tribute is an evidence of the esteem in which 
he was held and of an appreciation of his great assistance to 
the Country during the period of its early financial struggles. 

John Richardson served as president for nearly seventeen 
years and on his retirement the directors expressed their 
appreciation of his "soundness of judgment and promptness 
of action, his strict adherence to right principles, and his 
zealous, untiring devotion to the interests of the institution." 

"The whole of the long period during which he was in 
office," they declared, "had been marked by the most 
uninterrupted harmony and mutual respect, and, on the 
part of the board, by the highest regard for the excellent 
Qualities of Mr. Richardson as an officer and a man." 



(25 7) 



221, 223, 225, 227 AND 229 SOUTH EIGHTEENTH STREET 

From Chancellor Street on the North to 

Locust Street on the South 

(75' * 198') 



1855 — Joseph Harrison, Jr. 
1912 — Edward T. Stotesbury. 



The block from Chancellor Street to Locust and from 
Eighteenth to Seventeenth. Before the present buildings 
were erected the lot was depressed and autumn rainfalls 
would flood the ground to the depth of two feet, so that 
when the winter temperatures arrived splendid skating 
ground was afforded, a boon to the neighbors. There was 
an alternate on the brickfields to the southwest, the section 
now dominated by Wanamaker's Bethany Church, where 
splendid fields of ice in old brickyards were created during 
the winter season, but so much lawlessness prevailed, 
reputable people hesitated to visit it. At the present time, 
however, and owing, in the greatest measure, to that dom- 
inating influence of John Wanamaker first referred to, the 
section is teeming with an excellent class of worthy citizens 
presenting an ideal community. 

At this time Joseph Harrison, Jr., had returned from 
Russia with a fortune acquired through the building of rail- 
ways in that country, the concession having been obtained 
through action by the Russian Government in sending a 
select committee to this country to inquire as to the fea- 
sibility of building their railways. This committee did not 
meet with encouragement at the various shops and factories 
visited until they reached that of Eastwick and Harrison. 
Joseph Harrison, young and energetic, realizing the oppor- 

(258) 



Past and Present 



259 



tunity, gave the committee every information at his com- 
mand and accepted their invitation to undertake the work, 
agreeing to give it his personal supervision in Russia. He 
soon reached St. Petersburg, the present Petrograd, and in 
an interview with the Czar in answer to the question as to 




JOSEPH HARRISON, Jr. 

1810- 1874 



the route to be followed from St. Petersburg to Moscow, a 
straight line was ordered drawn from one city to the other 
and the road was so built. 

When Mr. Harrison left America he had but $500 in his 
possession and was without letters of credit. In St. Peters- 



260 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



burg he met Winans, of Baltimore, who agreed to join with 
him in the undertaking. The Russian Government declined 
to make any advances of moneys except on completion of 
sections, so Harrison, recognizing the necessity for supplies 
on credit, visited Wales, introducing himself to Crawshay, 
the great ironmaster of the day, and, by means of persuasion 
and the evidence of his ability and reliability, obtained from 
him a credit of three million dollars for five years without 
security; this enabled the contractors to begin work, which, 




CYFARTHFA CASTLE 

[Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales] 

Seat of Crawshay, the Ironmaster 

(Courtesy of John II". Lea) 

however, was soon interrupted by the demands for graft 
from the Russian officials appointed as supervisors. Harri- 
son appealed to the central government, stating his case 
frankly, and was supported in the stand that he had taken, 
so that the roads were dulv completed. In the agreement 
there was a provision that if all specifications were faithfullv 
carried out, and especially the time limit observed, there 
should be paid to the contractors a special compensation 
for each individual carried over the lines, covering a definite 
period. 



Past and Present 



261 



Soon after the completion of the road the war in the 
Crimea took place, participated in by Russia on one side, 
Turkey, France and Great Britain on the other; necessarily 
large numbers of troops were sent over the road, for which 
compensation was asked by the contractors on the basis of 
the agreement. This the government resisted, but the case 
was tried in the courts, a final decision in the Supreme Court 
of Russia being granted in favor of Harrison, so that he 




Copyright by Mo.ws King 

Residence of Joseph Harrison, Jr., Nos. 221, 223 and 225 South Eighteenth 
Street, East Rittenhouse Square 

returned to Philadelphia with a competent fortune and 
purchased the lot referred to above. 

Our skating was at an end, which was compensated for 
in some measure by the boyish delight in watching the 
method of excavation accomplished by digging under a sec- 
tion of earth which was toppled over by the use of crowbars, 
creating a thundering noise to be heard at a great distance, 
the earth being subsequently removed in small horse-drawn 
carts, the only method known at that time. Up to that 



262 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



period there probably was no building of such a character 
erected in any other city of the United States; the main 
mansion fronting the Square was designed from a palace in 
St. Petersburg that had attracted Mr. Harrison's attention 
while living in that city, and his idea of the general garden 




Photo by Phillips, Philadelphia 

MRS. JOSEPH HARRISON, Jr. 
1817- 1906 



running to Seventeenth Street, to be used by all the resi- 
dents of the row of houses on the north side of Locust Street, 
was a novel one in Philadelphia and certainly has its merits. 
When Mr. Harrison began negotiations for the purchase 
of this plot of ground, it was found that Dr. Isaac Hays, an 



Past and Present 263 

eminent physician of the day (and father of Dr. I. MinisHays, 
the distinguished secretary of the American Philosophical 
Society), had an agreement with the owner for the sale to 
him of the one section at the southeast corner of Eighteenth 
and Chancellor. Mr. Harrison appealed to Dr. Hays to 
forego his privilege, which the latter assented to, recognizing 
that the contemplated improvement was on a formidable 
scale and should be yielded to — an evidence of a high stand- 
ard of good citizenship. 

Before the authorities in the early seventies, Mr. Harrison 
placed a comprehensive plan for a central railroad terminal 
to run from Thirteenth to Fifteenth Street and from Chest- 
nut to Arch Street, tracks to be sunk as they now are in 
Edinburgh, a splendid suggestion that could have been 
carried out at a moderate cost, but authorities and critics of 
that day were not alive to the possibilities of the future and 
of the great economy that could have been secured by carry- 
ing out such a plan. 

With unexampled generosity, Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. 
Stotesbury, the owners, have devoted this splendid structure 
to the uses of the various societies organized for aid during 
the late war, and now it is the established headquarters of 
the Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania, all of which are factors 
of importance in our community and should receive the 
heartiest appreciation. 



264 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 




JOSEPH PIERRE BELL WILMER, D.D. 

1812- 1878 

First rector St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1849-61; later Bishop of Louisiana 

{From the painting in the Rectory of St. Mark's. Courtesy of Thomas Reath, Esq.) 



NORTHEAST CORNER EIGHTEENTH AND LOCUST 

STREETS 

(60' gy 2 " front on Eighteenth Street) 



1858 — Joseph Harrison, Jr. 

1884 — Elizabeth C. and Frances A. Roberts. 

1917 — Edward T. Stotesbury. 



A brown-stone dwelling, little changed from the original 
structure erected by Clayton T. Piatt about 1850; he was 
a brother of Charles Piatt, to whom reference will be made 
later. 

For some years it was occupied by the Reverend Dr. 
Wilmer, first rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. In 
1858 it was conveyed to Joseph Harrison, Jr., when he 
acquired the adjoining ground above referred to. John 
Nottman was the architect; Nottman was a Scotchman 
and designed St. Mark's Church, Holy Trinity, and many 
buildings where Gothic art prevailed. 

Tradition relates that the original intention was to build 
the rectory at the northeast corner of Seventeenth and 
Locust, adjoining St. Mark's Church, but the Corporation 
realizing that it was not in a position to carry out such an 
ambitious plan, Mr. Piatt, a member of the vestry, took 
over Nottman's plans, built and occupied the house himself. 

Later the property was occupied by Joseph Harrison's 
son, William H., who had married Miss Orne. On the second 
floor the rooms were continuous, and in the bay window 
appeared a beautiful statue in white marble, the Swan of 
the Vatican; in the same section was the main picture 
gallery, in which Mr. Harrison took great interest. Mr. 
Weld, of Boston, was a tenant in 1882, having left Boston 

(265) 



266 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



on account of what he considered unfair local taxation. 
Mrs. Eisenbrey, a daughter of Mr. Harrison, lived here for 
some time, also Mr. and Mrs. Seth B. Stitt, both of whom 
may be remembered; Mr. Stitt for his attractive appearance 
and prominence in the woolen trade; Mrs. Stitt for her 
interest in benefactions, having been identified with the 
Home for Incurables in West Philadelphia. Then the Misses 




"""""«..?»,„ 



w «'»TOk.„.:.^-f 



Copyright by .IM.sfs King 

Northeast corner Eighteenth and Locust Streets 



Roberts became the owners, and finally Mr. Stotesbury 
acquired it with the purchase of the main building as noted 
above. 

Directly east is a residence built in the earlv seventies 
on the Harrison property and occupied by a daughter of 
Mr. Harrison; later, from about 1878 to 1893, J. W. M. 
Cardeza was the tenant; it is known as No. 1723 Locust 
Street. 



231 AND 233 SOUTH EIGHTEENTH STREET 
Southeast corner Eighteenth and Locust Streets 

(44' x 150') 



— William Florance. 
1859 — Charles Lennig. 
1894 — George W. Childs Drexel. 



David Winebrenner was a cloth merchant whose estab- 
lishment in the year 1825 was at No. 100 Chestnut Street 
and in the middle forties at 70 North Third Street. About 
the year 1835 he built and occupied the house at the south- 
east corner of Eighteenth and Locust Streets; the illustra- 
tion is a perfect presentation as I remember it during the 
fifties, when owned and occupied by William Florance. Mr. 
Winebrenner's granddaughter, Mrs. Francis M. Hutchinson, 
has a handsome glass chandelier in her residence in West 
Philadelphia that came from the old house; it was originally 
arranged for candles, and when altered into use for gas there 
was much excitement among the neighbors when it became 
known that a test was to be made on a certain evening, at 
which time all the neighbors flocked to Rittenhouse Square 
so as to be removed from the danger of an explosion that the 
alarmists prophesied would certainly follow. 

Later, Mr. Winebrenner sold this property and it came 
into the possession of William Florance. He lived later at 
241 South Eighteenth Street. 

William Florance had three sons, Theodore, William and 
Lucien — Theodore, who occupied several positions; William, 
interested in music; and Lucien, an artist. There were also 
many daughters. At the marriage of one daughter I was 
present as the youngest guest, my mother and Mrs. Florance 
being cordially intimate for many years. I recall the evening 

(267) 



268 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



as being in midwinter with the temperature at a low point, 
and during the ceremony the gas went out; candles were 
hastily supplied, and since a plumber was not available at 
that hour my father and others of the guests thawed out the 




Photo by Gulekunsi 



DAVID WINEBRENNER 
1792- 1876 



frozen meter and soon restored the equanimity of the 
occasion. Mr. Florance was the brother of Jacob L. Flor- 
ance, who lived at 1520 Chestnut Street, later the home of 
the Reform Club, and now the Baker Building. After Mr. 
William Florance's death, Eighteenth and Locust was 



Past and Present 



269 



acquired by Charles Lennig, a benefactor to our University 
by a bequest to its Chemical Laboratory; he was survived 
by his widow, a sister of William R. Lejee; after her death 
George W. Childs Drexel, later editor and proprietor of the 
Public Ledger, purchased the property, removed it and put 
up the present structure, which during the War, through 




Photo by Swift 

Residence Southeast corner Eighteenth and Locust Streets, East Rittenhouse 
Square, prior to the year 1860 

Mrs. Drexel's patriotic activity, was used for the assemblage 
of societies interested in war work. 

Mr. William Florance was a weekly visitor to our house 
on the south side, usually selecting the late hour of Saturday 
afternoon, when we as children would be studying Harper's 
Weekly and Illustrated London News, but the conversation 
with our elders was always open to absorption. In 1856 at 
the time of the War in the Crimea, the discussions were keen, 



270 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Mr. Florance advocating Russia's position and my father 
supporting Great Britain in the political view that she had 
taken. 

Upon the breaking out of the Civil War, Mr. Florance 
removed to New York City, and the intimacy ceased. How- 
ever, twenty years later, I met Mr. Florance's great-niece, 
whom I courted and married. 

Photograph of Mr. Florance will be found on page 277. 




Copyright by Moses King 

CHARLES LENNIG 
1809- 1891 



235 SOUTH EIGHTEENTH STREET 

(22' x 150') 



— Jane B. Edwards. 
1857 — Richard C. Dale. 
1876 — Ellen G. Sibley. 



Richard C. Dale was born in Maryland, his ancestors on 
both sides being English. Richard Colgate was a landowner 
where the city of Baltimore now stands. Dr. John Dale 
and Dr. Richard Colgate Dale were prominent surgeons in 
their day, the latter raising and commanding a company 
during the War of 1812, at the same time acting as surgeon 
and physician to the regiment. 

Moving to Philadelphia about the year 1820, the widow 
with seven young children lived with the grandfather, 
Thomas Fitzgerald, a friend and neighbor of Charles Wilson 
Peale. 

Mr. Richard C. Dale was an importer of silks and ranked 
high in the world of commerce. He was deeply interested 
in public enterprises and took an active part in raising sub- 
scriptions to the stock of the Pennsylvania Railroad when 
that movement was started. 

Mrs. Richard C. Dale was the daughter of E. D. Wood- 
ruff, a lawyer of great promise, who was a victim of insanitary 
conditions prevailing in a neighboring town when attending 
court sessions, repeated in more recent times but, let us hope, 
now happily overcome. Her grandfather, A. Dickinson 
Woodruff, was Attorney-General of New Jersey for 21 years. 
He was a graduate of Princeton, delivering the valedictory 
and receiving his degree when General Washington and the 
members of Congress attended the commencement exercises. 

(271) 



272 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Richard C. Dale, the younger, was born in Philadelphia, 
1853, and received his early training in Dr. Faires' school 
where very many of our fellow-citizens of present repute 
had their first schooling. 




RICHARD C. DALE [the elder] 
1810- 1876 

{Photograph by Gutekunst, from the painting by Rembrandt Peale) 

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in 1872, 
he studied law under the Hon. Robert N. Willson and soon 
evidenced that marvelous grasp of the intricacies of practice 
that was afterward to distinguish him as one of the fore- 
most members of the Bar. Admitted in 1875, in a few years 



Past and Present 



2 73 



he achieved a wide reputation, and, had it not been for his 
untimely death in 1904, he would have been elected president 
of the Pennsylvania State Bar Association. 




MRS. RICHARD C. DALE [the elder] 

[Elizabeth Woodruff] 

1822- 1910 

(Photograph by Gutekunst, from the painting by Rembrandt Peale) 

Aside from legal attainments of the highest order, Mr. 
Dale, although devoted to his profession, gave much time 
and effort to various public movements, among which may 
be named one of three commissioners from Pennsylvania to 
the National Conference for the Promotion of Uniformitv 



2/'4 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

of Legislation in the United States; a trustee of the Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania; member of the Board of Managers 
of the Drexel Institute; one of the advisory counsel to the 
Bishop of the Diocese and a vestryman of St. Paul's Church, 
Chestnut Hill; member of the executive committee, Adi- 
rondack Mountain-Reserve; friend and counsel to the Legal 




RICHARD C. DALE 
1853- 1904 

Protection and Juvenile Court Committees of the New 
Century Club and a host of others. 

At the meeting of the Bar, Hon. Hampton L. Carson 
well expressed Richard C. Dale's character in these words: 

He unquestionably filled in our time the place that was filled 
by Horace Binney during his active days. I think he was the 
purest-minded man I ever knew. No profane word ever stained 



Past and Present 



275 



his lips; no impure thought ever soiled his mind. He was a man 
of sweetness and dignity, learning without ostentation, neither a 
tyrant nor slave of any creed, passion, prejudice or caprice, leading 
a simple, beautiful, well-rounded life. 




Photo by GuteJcunst 



EDWARD A. SIBLEY 
1839- 1910 



I have an additional interest in the fact that my class- 
mate, Gerald Dale, was a first cousin of Richard C. Dale. 
Gerald was a brilliant pupil in Dr. Faires' school, leading 
his class in every branch of study. He was an enthusiast 
in church matters and soon after his graduation engaged 



276 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



in missionary work in Syria and became a martyr to the 
cause. Mrs. Gerald Dale survived her husband and holds 
a very important position on the French-Syrian Commission. 
Edward A. Sibley created a new front to this building, 
a radical departure from the plain exterior that continues 




MRS. 



EDWARD A. SIBLEY 
1839- 1913 



to mark the adjoining homes to the south. Mr. Sibley was 
born in Philadelphia, graduated from our high school and 
served in the Civil War with our Keystone Battery and later 
was of the firm of Felton, Sibley & Company, leading manu- 
facturers of paints, varnishes, etc. He was actively engaged 



Past and Present 



277 



in charitable work, being treasurer of the Children's Seaside 
Home at Atlantic City and of St. Christopher's Hospital for 
Children of Philadelphia. 

He was also accounting warden of the Church of The 
Epiphany, which stood at the northwest corner ot Htteenth 
and Chestnut Streets. 




WILLIAM FLORANCE 

(Courtesy of hVi granddaughter, Mrs. Frederick tVathin, of New York} 



237-247 SOUTH EIGHTEENTH STREET 

(no' x 150') 



These houses were owned by the Reverend William Prescod 
Hinds, who died in 1859. Of his descendants there is his 
grandson, the present Samuel Hinds Thomas, distinguished 
member of the Bar, and Miss Mabel L. H. Thomas, who 
lives at No. 241. 

Ann Thomas became the owner by will dated in 1858. 

William Wurts, who lived at 237 South Eighteenth 
Street, was born in Flanders, N. J. With his brother 
Maurice, he was a factor in the creation of the Delaware 
and Hudson Canal and in overcoming the prejudice of the 
public against the use of anthracite coal as a fuel. As a 
merchant he was successful and retired from active business 
at a comparatively early age. 

As Philadelphians our particular interest lies in the fact 
that in this house the nestor of the Philadelphia Bar, the 
man of varied talents and of high personal standing, the 
late S. Davis Page, courted the daughter of William 
Wurts, who later became Mrs. Page. 

S. Davis Page, a noted lawyer, presided at the meeting 
of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Governors, held at 
the residence of James F. Fahnestock when my paper on 
Rittenhouse Square was first read as noted on page vii. Mr. 
Page was born in the home of his grandfather, Samuel Davis, 
Chestnut Street near Tenth. His father was Dr. William 
Byrd Page, a physician, and a professor in the Franklin 
Medical College. His mother was Celestine Anna Davis, 
a daughter of Samuel Davis, a native of Louisiana. His 
education was begun in the Gregory Latin School; he 
entered Yale in his fifteenth year, graduating with the Class 
of 1859 when eighteen. Mr. Page was commodore of the 
Yale navy and trained and stroked the first Yale crew that 

(278) 



Past and Present 



279 



won from Harvard. On his return to this City he studied 
law in the office of Peter McCall and was admitted to the 
Bar in 1864. He served in City Councils from 1877 to 1879 
and in 1882. In 1883 he was appointed City Controller, and 




S. DAVIS PAGE 
1840- 1921 



although his occupancy was of short duration he introduced 
fiscal reforms, benefits of which are still apparent. Under 
his auspices a simplified system of city bookkeeping was 
inaugurated, and he is considered the father of the Depart- 
ment of Supplies, having suggested such a system of mun- 



28o RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

icipal purchasing nearly forty years ago. Mr. Page was 
interested in banking, having been president of the Quaker 
City National Bank, and was a director of the Merchants 
Trust Company. He was for many years senior member of 




WILLIAM WURTS 
1788- 1858 

the law firm of Page, Allison & Penrose, the junior member 
being the late Senator Penrose. 

Mr. Page was a member of the Society of Colonial Wars, 
Sons of the American Revolution and president of the Penn- 
sylvania Society of Colonial Governors, as noted above. 
He was a member of the Historical Societies of Pennsvl- 



Past and Present 



281 



vania and Virginia, the American and Pennsylvania Bar 
Associations, and the Law Association of Philadelphia. 
His clubs were the Rittenhouse, University, Lawyers', 
Democratic and Harvard. He was president of the Alumni 




MRS. WILLIAM WURTS 
[Anna Lentz] 



Association of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity of 
Philadelphia. 

The ancestry of the Wurts family dates back to the 
nth century, and one of the ancient homes near Zurich, 
Switzerland, erected in 1092, bears the arms of the family 



282 RlTTENHOUSE SgUARE 

carved in the oak ceiling. When John Wurts visited it in 
1855, the then occupant remarked, "It has stood 763 years 
and will stand as much longer." It appears that Johannes 
Conrad Wurts was one of the early travelers to America; 




MRS. S. DAVIS PAGE 

[Isabella Graham Wurts] 

1840- 1867 

he died in York, Pa., in 1763 and was the grandfather of 
William, the subject of this sketch. Johannes joined a party 
of Swiss to come to America to better their fortunes. After 
many trials and disappointments, they finally landed in 
Philadelphia, but that their condition was not ideal may be 
gathered from this sentence in a letter written by one of the 



Past and Present 283 

party to a relative in Zurich in which she bewailed the folly 
which had led them to forsake the friends and the comforts 
of her Swiss home for this land of "wild beasts and bar- 
barians." 

The portrait of Mrs. William Wurts is noteworthy as 
indicating her beauty and attractive costume. 

Mrs. S. Davis Page, Isabella Wurts, was the daughter 
of William Wurts's second wife, who was Elizabeth Tate. 
Mrs. Page is represented as bridesmaid to the daughter of 
Charles Macalester about the year i860. 

George W. Wurts, the surviving son of William Wurts, 
has been secretary of the United States legation in Rome, 
as also in St. Petersburg, and is now resident in the former 
city. While in Russia Mr. Wurts was also a delegate of our 
Government to the Fourth International Prison Congress 
in 1890, and to the International Railway Congress in 1892, 
both held in the City of St. Petersburg. His wife is the 
sister of our fellow-townsman, Hon. Charlemagne Tower. 

Mrs. Joseph B. Godwin is a granddaughter of William 
Wurts, by his first wife, Anna Lentz, and it is to Mr. and 
Mrs. Godwin I am indebted for the privilege of presenting 
this group of family portraits. 

George A. Wood lived at No. 237. He was a merchant 
of high standing, president of the Crane Iron Company, 
director of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and of the 
Girard National Bank. His daughter became the wife of 
Dr. I. Minis Hays, the distinguished secretary of the Amer- 
ican Philosophical Society and a citizen with a national 
reputation. 

237 South Eighteenth Street. Charles Newbold was a 
tenant about the year 1856. He was of the firm of Carson 
& Newbold, merchants, 136 South Delaware Avenue. Mr. 
Newbold had a large circle of friends; notable of them 
were John and William Welsh, Hartman Kuhn the elder, 
Charles Wharton, and many others. His wife was Rebecca 
Pemberton. 

The present occupant is James F. Fahnestock, treasurer 
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, who has trans- 



284 RlTTENHOUSE SgUARE 

formed the interior into fascinating suites of rooms in 
Colonial design, combined with all modern comforts and 
conveniences. 

239 South Eighteenth Street. Charles Piatt was born 
in Philadelphia in 1829 and was graduated from the Uni- 



GEORGE A. WOOD 
1816- 1883 



versity of Pennsylvania with honor in 1846. As a young 
man he traveled extensively in the East and in Europe, 
and in i860 was elected secretary of the Insurance Company 
of North America, in 1869 its vice-president and in 1878 
its president. His administration covered an active and 



Past and Present 285 

growing period in the company's history, it having attained, 
in its fire branch, a national reputation and in its marine, 
cosmopolitan renown. 

241 South Eighteenth Street. John Cooke Longstreth 
was a son of Judge Morris Longstreth, was educated at 




CHARLES NEWBOLD 

1816- 1863 

{From an oil painting by an unknown artist) 



Georgetown College, studied law in the office of Eli Kirk 
Price and was admitted to the Bar in 1849. He was ap- 
pointed United States Commissioner by President James 
Buchanan. 



286 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

He will be remembered for all time as the U. S. Com- 
missioner who presided in April, 1859, at the trial of Daniel 
Dangerfield, an alleged fugitive slave who had been arrested 
in Harrisburg and was brought to Philadelphia, where the 
trial was conducted first at the court-room, southwest corner 
Fifth and Chestnut Streets, but to secure more space it 
was adjourned to the U. S. District Court. Benjamin 




CHARLES PLATT 
1829- 1909 

Harris Brewster, later U. S. Attorney-General, was counsel 
for the claimant; he had taken the case as a matter of pro- 
fessional duty, since the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 created 
the law that should be defended. William S. Peirce, George 
H. Earle and Charles Gilpin had been retained by the 
Anti-Slavery Society to protect the interests of the fugitive 
slave. Peirce afterward became judge of our Court of Com- 



Past and Present 287 

mon Pleas, and I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship 
and that of the members of his household for many years. 
He would take great delight in discussing various phases of 
the Old Testament with which he was very familiar. His 




MRS. CHARLES PLATT 
1830- 1909 



daughters were women of character and intellectual attain- 
ments. Years afterward, when Mr. Brewster was called 
upon to address the court at the time of the demise of 
Judge Peirce, he paid eloquent tribute to his character 
and ability. 



288 r.ittenhouse square 

Extracts from the Report of the Trial 

Anti-slavery men and women thronged the court-room and sat 
through weary hours of the day and the night. Before the trial 
began, Lucretia Mott approached Commissioner Longstreth (who 
was seated at the table writing), ventured forward, and, in an 
undertone, expressed to him the earnest hope that his conscience 
would not allow him to send this poor man into slavery. He 
received it civilly, but replied that he must be bound by his oath 
of office. It was half-past twelve at night when the testimony 
was concluded. The ladies all kept their seats. Mr. Brewster 
commenced summing up with his characteristic ability. He was 
followed by Mr. Earle, who took the floor at half-past two in the 
morning, and later by Mr. Peirce, who entered the lists at four 
o'clock in the morning. It was after five o'clock and day had 
begun to dawn when Mr. Brewster made his concluding speech, 
which terminated the trial. We had been in session since four 
o'clock of the preceding day. The marshal dozed, the commis- 
sioner's eyes grew heavy, the witnesses slept, the prisoner could 
keep awake no longer, the officers rested their heads on the ends 
of their maces, and the doorkeepers slept at their posts. But 
Lucretia Mott, Mary Grew, and the twenty or thirty other 
women who were in the room sat erect, their interest unflagging, 
and their watchfulness enduring to the end. 

The commissioner finally decided that as the height of the man 
did not agree with the testimony of the claimant, he could not be 
given up. Upon his release Dangerfield was taken to an unsus- 
pected station of the famous "Underground Railroad" (the 
country seat of Morris L. Hallowell, eight miles distant from the 
city), and in a few days was safe in Canada. 1 

In No. 241 lived David Winebrenner with his grandson, 
Alan Armstrong, one of our youthful companions. 

Isaac Hinckley was president of the Philadelphia, Wil- 
mington & Baltimore Railroad Company, 1 86:5-88, suc- 

1 For fuller details of this famous trial consult Life and Letters of James and 
Lucretia Mott, by their granddaughter, Anna Davis Hallowell, and Life of 
Benjamin Harris Brewster, by Eugene Coleman Savidge, M.D., from both of 
which the above extracts have been made by the courteous permission of 
authors and publishers. 



Past and Present 



289 



ceeding Samuel L. Felton. To quote from a memoir: 
"A scholar ot marked ability, a wise and trusted counselor, 
widely known and respected as a man of the highest in- 
tegrity." 








4" 






ISAAC HINCKLEY 

1815 - 1888 

(From un engraving by tin Atlantic Publishing and Engraving Co., N J" 1 

The seal of the company is of interest, indicating the 
original form of locomotive engine. 

In 1858 No. 243 South Eighteenth Street was occupied 
by John B. Shober, a graduate of the University of Penn- 
sylvania, later entering his father's counting house on Dela- 



290 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



ware Avenue, engaged in oil products, with important New 
Bedford connections. His leisure was devoted to sports 
and athletics and he was always deeply and practically 
interested in affairs of the City, State and Nation. 




JOHN B. SHOBER 
1814- 1864 

The portrait of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Field, by Sargent, 
is one of the treasures of our Academy of Fine Arts. Mr. 
Field was at one time associated with the banking firm of 
C. & H. Borie. The Fields had the genius of friendship, 
and of those who dwelt under their hospitable roof were 
Thackeray, Dickens, Charles Eliot Norton, James Russell 
Lowell and John Singer Sargent, the last named having left 



Past and Present 291 

a perpetual memorial of their hospitality in the painting 
indicated. 

Mrs. Field was the daughter of Richard Peters, Jr., 
one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Academy of the 




MR. AND MRS. JOHN W. FIELD 

{From the painting by John Singer Sargent, by courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 
From a Thistle Print, Copyright Detroit Publishing Co.) 



292 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Fine Arts. Her mother was Abigail Willing, whose por- 
trait by Stuart and that of her father by Rembrandt Peale 
are also in our Academy by gift and bequest. 

James Russell Lowell with his bride had left Boston to 
become resident in Philadelphia in the year 1845. They 




JAMES W. PAUL 
1816- 1897 

{From the paintiny by Yonnoli in The Union I. move) 

lived in Arch Street, not to return until the "bleak New 
England" should be milder. Lowell found employment 
on the Pennsylvania Freeman, an abolitionist periodical, 
this city being a notable center of anti-slaverv activity years 



Past and Present 



293 



before Uncle Tom's Cabin appeared. J. Miller McKim was 
one of the editors, the man identified with the trial before 
J. Cooke Longstreth just referred to. 




MRS. JAMES W. PAUL 

[Hannah Clement Bunker-Bonne Cceur] 

1820- 1891 



James W. Paul, born in Philadelphia, was a lawyer of 
distinction, in practice 65 years, a record period, at the 
Philadelphia Bar. His office was at 220 South Fourth Street, 
the home of Peggy Shippen, of Revolutionary fame. He 
was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with high 



294 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

honors, in 1834. He married shortly after Hannah Clement 
Bunker, Huguenot family Bonne Cceur. Mr. Paul, with 
George H. Boker and others, founded the Union Club, later 
The Union League, a potent factor in upholding the cause 
of the Union during the Civil War. His leisure hours were 
spent with such neighbors as Horace Binney, John Sergeant, 
William M. Meredith, St. George Tucker Campbell, Judge 
Cadwalader, a galaxy of wit and wisdom not to be equaled. 

The marriage of Mr. Paul's daughter, Mary, to William 
Waldorf Astor, later Baron Astor, will be remembered. 
His son, James, Jr., was of Drexel & Company and was 
vitally interested in many philanthropic and artistic move- 
ments in the City and Nation. To his younger son, Law- 
rence, I am indebted for the portrait, a copy of the painting 
by Yonnoh, now hanging in The Union League, a gift from 
his brother, James, Jr. 

Charlemagne Tower and Mrs. Tower lived here from 
1890 to 1897, and have always been highly esteemed. Mr. 
Tower has received many honors from institutions of learn- 
ing both here and abroad. Although a member of the Phil- 
adelphia Bar, his interests have been mainly in literature and 
diplomacy. He served as envoy extraordinary and minister 
plenipotentiary to Austria-Hungary, ambassador extra- 
ordinary and plenipotentiary to Russia and to Germany, 
and on his return to this country was elected president of 
the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. As an author his 
history of the Marquis de La Fayette became a standard 
work, authentic as history and charming as literature. We 
are justly proud of his citizenship. 

This house is at present occupied by Charles C. Har- 
rison, Jr. 

245 South Eighteenth Street was the home of the Gratz 
family, brothers and sisters. 

Rev. John Patterson Lundy, D.D., was a distinguished 
author of church history. Mrs. Lundy endeared herself to 
all good Philadelphians by her advocacy of open-air spaces 
for tree planting, and it is to her perservering enthusiasm 
that we are indebted for the creation of the City Parks 



Past and Present 



295 



Association that has been a potent factor in securing many 
parks, large and small, throughout the city. It was in this 
residence that the meeting for organization took place when 
Mrs. Lundy, ably supported by Mrs. Brinton Coxe and a 
group of earnest women, formulated plans well developed 




Planting trees in front of Independence Hall, Arbor Day, 190 1. Reading from 
left to right: Oglesby Paul, 'Mrs. L. F. Benson, Mrs. J. P. Lundy (with arrow) 

in the years that followed, so that at the present time we are 
in the enjoyment of the realization of what seemed a vision, 
but has proven to be a real attainment. 

John Teackle Montgomery lived here in the year 1869. 
He was the son of the Reverend James Montgomery, D.D., 
who was successively the rector of St. Michael's Church, 



296 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



Trenton; Grace Church, New York; and St. Stephen's 
Church, Philadelphia. On June 25, 1856, he married Alida 
Gouverneur, daughter of Francis Rawle Wharton, of Phila- 
delphia. 




JOHN TEACKLE MONTGOMERY 
1817- 1895 

(From a portrait. Courtesy of his nephew. Dr. James A. Montgomery) 

Mr. Montgomery attained a notable place at the Bar, 
his most famous case being his successful defense of the 
Estate of George H. Boker against the claims of the Girard 
National Bank on the ground of Mr. Boker's malfeasance 
while president of the Bank. Having acquired a com- 
petence, Mr. Montgomery early retired from practice. He 



Past and Present 



297 



was famous for a brilliant wit and his bons mots are still 
repeated in Philadelphia. He was an accomplished Latin 
scholar and took part in a notable controversy over the 
correct meaning of pollice verso, "thumb turned," in criticism 
of Gerome's famous picture, "The Gladiators," criticizing 
the painter for representing the thumbs as turned down. 
This correspondence appeared in the Philadelphia Librarian 




EPHRAIM CLARK 
1810- 1885 



for 1878-79. Mr. Montgomery was a member of the 
Philadelphia Club. His nephew is the present Dr. James 
A. Montgomery, a distinguished member of the faculty of 
the University of Pennsylvania. 

247 South Eighteenth Street, northeast corner of 
Eighteenth and Rittenhouse Streets, was occupied as early 
as 1855 by Ephraim Clark. There was a commodious side- 
yard where cricket was played in the afternoons of school- 



298 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



days and all day on holidays, the neighbors' sons taking 
sides, Phillips, Whelen, Clark, Thomas, Cohen and others. 
Mr. Clark's son is Charles D. Clark, who lives at 2215 
Spruce Street and devotes his leisure to important hospital 
work and other charitable enterprises. Of his ancestors 




MRS. EPHRAIM CLARK 
1833- 1885 

he notes with interest David Rittenhouse, after whom our 
Square is named. The illustration shows "Fort Ritten- 
house," northwest corner Seventh and Arch Streets, a 
building many of us remember. It was so named because, 
pending a dispute as to jurisdiction between Pennsylvania 
and the United States, in 1809, it was guarded for three 



Past and Present 



299 



weeks by State militia to prevent the service of a man- 
damus issued by the Federal courts. 1 

Mr. Clark is a member of Christ Church vestry. 

At present the occupant is Algernon Sydney Logan, a 
litterateur of note, whose poems and novels have been pub- 
lished. The mother was a Wister and related both by 
descent and marriage to Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Keith, 




Northwest corner Seventh and Arch Streets — "Fort Rittenhouse' 



whom Philadelphians honor for their literary quality and for 
their continued interest in the attractive homestead at 
321 South Fourth Street, once the home of Dr. Philip 
Syng Physick. 

At Haverford College a building has been erected by 
Mrs. Charles Roberts — a memorial to her husband the late 



1 For full particulars of this interesting incident see History of the Ritten- 
house Family, by Cassel, 1893, Vol. I, pp. 177-83, at the Historical Society 
of Pennsylvania. 



300 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

Charles Roberts. Mr. Roberts was my fellow-member on 
the original Committee of ioo, organized in the year 1880 
to overcome the Gas Trust and other municipal irregulari- 
ties. This was accomplished, and Mr. Roberts became 
a member of City Council, being the leading exponent of 
reform politics. A man of taste, he employed his leisure 
in acquiring letters and autographs, of which those of David 
Rittenhouse are an interesting feature. 



SOUTHEAST CORNER OF EIGHTEENTH AND 
RITTENHOUSE STREETS 

(63' x 113') 



1867 — David Jayne, M.D. 
1867 — William P. Tatham. 
1 87 1 — John Edgar Thomson. 
1906 — Samuel P. Wetherill. 



For a long time this was a vacant lot, and the gossip of the 
neighborhood was to the effect that theo wner, John Edgar 




Copyright by Moacx King 



The S. P. Wetherill house 



Thomson, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, by 
bequest had suggested the lot as a suitable spot for the 

(301) 



3°2 



RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 



erection of a home for orphans of men of the railroad who 
had lost their lives in its service. 

Visiting Mrs. Thomson when a widow in the interest of 
some charitable organization, I ventured to call her atten- 
tion to the importance of the erection of homes for orphans 
in a rural district where plenty of air and ground could be 
obtained, and where the successful operation of an institu- 
tion as contemplated could be assured. There is no cer- 
tainty that the comment had any influence, but later the 
estate disposed of the lot and Mr. Samuel Price Wetherill 
has erected a beautiful dwelling thereon, an ornament to 
the neighborhood. In 1867 the lot belonged to Dr. David 
Jayne, who afterward built the marble mansion at the 
southeast corner of Nineteenth and Chestnut Streets, 
lately removed; then to William P. Tatham, a noted manu- 
facturer of lead products. 




Copyright by Afoxtx King 

JOHN EDGAR THOMSON 

1808- 1874 

President Pennsylvania Railroad Co. 



NORTHEAST CORNER OF EIGHTEENTH AND SPRUCE 

STREETS 

(90' x 105') 



1857 — William R, Hanson. 

1858 — John Edgar Thomson. 

1912 — Emily B. McFadden, wife of George H. McFadden. 



In 1857 this belonged to William R. Hanson, to whom 
reference has been made. He conveyed it to John Edgar 
Thomson, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 
a man of fine physique, reserved in manner, but vigorous 
in action when occasion required. The house, as I remember 




Residence of George H. McFadden, northeast corner Eighteenth and Spruce 

(Courtesy of George A . Wolf) 

it, was largely of wood construction on the exterior; imme- 
diately to the east, facing Spruce Street on its north side, 
were the greenhouses of Peter Mackenzie, a noted florist; 
this was in 1856. 

In 1912, following Mrs. Thomson's death, the property 
was purchased by George H. McFadden, who made exten- 
sive improvements, resulting in an attractive mansion. 

(303) 



3O4 RlTTENHOUSE SQUARE 

APPENDIX I 

As an evidence of patriotic citizenship, the subjoined 
list of members of the Edwards family will be of interest. 

*George W. Edwards. 
Sons: 

*Dr. Joseph F. Edwards, Major 2d Infty., N. G. P. 

*Colonel Richard S. Edwards, 1st City Troop; 
Commissary Gen'l, N. G. P. 

"Thomas A. Edwards, 1st City Troop; Co. D, 1st Reg't, 
N. G. P. 

Grandchildren: 

Robert Ewing Edwards, Penna. Naval Reserve; 
U. S. A. Revenue Service. 

Jonathan Patterson Edwards, Co. D, 1st Reg't, 
N. G. P. 

George W. Edwards, Co. D, 1st Reg't, N. G. P; 
U. S. V., Battery A., Spanish American War. 

Joseph F. Edwards, Lieut. U. S. N., World War. 

W. Atlee Edwards, Lt. Commander U. S. N.; Staff 
Admiral Sims; English D. S. C; Medal of Honor, U. S. A. 

Baldwin Edwards, Lieut. U. S. A. (A. E. F.). 

Richard S. Edwards, Commander U. S. Navy. 

Brooke Edwards, Lieut. Aviation Corps; Croix de 
Guerre, A. E. F. 

Mitchell Edwards, Lieut. Aviation Corps (A. E. ¥.). 

Wilfred B. Fetterman, Major Medical Corps, U. S. A. 
(Croix de Guerre); 1st Reg't., N. G. P.; U. S. V., Spanish 
American War. 

George Edwards Fetterman, Lieut., U. S. A. (A. E. F.) ; 
1st Reg't., N. G. P.; U. S. V., Spanish American War. 

Neilson Edwards, Troop A, N. G. P. 

Gordon Edwards Fetterman, Troop A, N. G. P. 

Great-Grandchildren : 

A. H. Davisson, Jr., Mexican Border, 1916-17; Lieu- 
tenant 28th Division, U. S. A. (A. E. F.). 

Elizabeth Edwards Davisson, U. S. N. R. F. 

George Edwards Davisson, Troop A (N. G. P.). 

John Edwards Davisson, Troop A, N. G. P. 

* Deceased 



Past and Present 305 

APPENDIX II 

At the conclusion of Mr. Cohen's address before the 
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the President, Hon. 
Hampton L. Carson, in closing the meeting, referred to the 
"Fort Rittenhouse" incident, and a summary of his remarks 
is appended: 

The old house at the northwest corner of Seventh and 
Arch Streets, long known as "Fort Rittenhouse," has an 
interesting connection with a Revolutionary tale. In Sep- 
tember, 1778, Gideon Olmsted, a young fisherman of Con- 
necticut, accustomed to the waters of Long Island Sound, 
was blown out to sea, with two companions, and captured 
by the British ship "Active." Against their protests they 
were treated as prisoners of war and carried to Jamaica. 
There the sloop was fitted with arms and ammunition for 
the British army in the City of New York, and the American 
lads, against their wills, were forced to assist in the naviga- 
tion of the sloop on her return voyage. One calm night, the 
Americans fastened down the hatches upon the captain and 
the greater part of his men, confining them to a cabin below 
the deck, and overpowering the watch on the lookout and the 
man at the wheel. Olmsted, taking the tiller, headed for 
Little Egg Harbor, N. J. In the morning the captain 
attempted to force the hatch. A lively battle ensued, the 
captain sweeping the deck with pistol fire and wounding 
Olmsted, but he was beaten back by belaying pins, and the 
hatch clamped down by rolling a full water-butt upon it. 
The supply of food and water to the prisoners below was 
cut off so as to bring them to terms. The ship's carpenter 
cut a hole through the stern and wedged the rudder so that 
the sloop would run out to sea, in the hope of falling in with 
a British squadron. Olmsted furled his sails and awaited 
the slow effect of starvation and thirst upon the crew. In 
this situation, the Pennsylvania brig "Houston," com- 
manded by Captain Josiah Harmer, cruising in concert with 
the French corvette, the "Gerard," came up, and, against 
the protests of Olmsted and his companions, insisted on 



306 Rittenhouse Square 

recapturing them and carrying them into the Delaware and 
up to Philadelphia. Here a contest took place over the 
distribution of prize money resulting from a sale of the sloop 
and cargo. The trial was had before Judge George Ross, the 
Pennsylvania Admiralty judge, and a jury, the money being 
divided into thirds — one-third to Olmsted, one-third to 
the brig, and one-third to the corvette. Olmsted, stung by 
the injustice, appealed to the Continental Congress and 
secured a bond from Benedict Arnold, then the military 
commander of Philadelphia. The Congressional Committee 
on Prizes and Captures reversed the State Court, but could 
not enforce its rulings. The moneys reached the hands of 
David Rittenhouse, the Treasurer of the State of Pennsyl- 
vania. Years followed, but not until after the adoption of 
the Constitution of the United States and the establishment 
of the District Courts of the United States as successors to 
the Admiralty jurisdiction of the Continental Congress was 
the matter settled. Olmsted brought proceedings before 
Judge Peters who awarded the whole fund to him. Penn- 
sylvania resisted. The judge was timid about embroiling 
the Nation and the State, but was commanded by John 
Marshall, as Chief Justice, upon a writ of mandamus, to 
enforce his decree. This Peters did, but as Rittenhouse 
had died, and the fund, which was in the shape of certificates, 
was in the hands of his daughters, Mrs. Sergeant and Mrs. 
Waters, residing in "Fort Rittenhouse," the ladies were 
made defendants. When the United States marshal went 
to the house, he found that Governor Snyder had surrounded 
the house with State militia, commanded by General Michael 
Bright. The marshal withdrew, but summoned a posse 
comitatus of citizens to meet at the end of two weeks and 
aid him in service of the writ from Judge Peters. To avoid 
an open clash, the marshal resorted to strategy, and, dis- 
guising himself as a farmer selling poultry and eggs, obtained 
admission to the house and made the ladies his prisoners. 
They applied for a discharge on a writ of habeas corpus before 
Chief Justice Tilghman of Pennsylvania. He refused to 
interfere with the order of John Marshall and re-ordered the 



Past and Present 307 

ladies into custody. Governor Snyder summoned a special 
meeting of the Legislature, which made an appropriation of 
the money to Olmsted, who thus finally secured his prize 
rights, and the ladies were released. General Bright was 
tried with his soldiers before Judge Bushrod Washington in 
the United States Court, for forcibly resisting the enforce- 
ment of Federal law. He was convicted and sentenced, but 
because he had acted under the mistaken orders of the 
Governor, he was pardoned by President Madison, and the 
controversy which had lasted from 1778 to 1806 was finally 
closed. 

It was because of the siege of the Rittenhouse mansion 
that it was long known as " Fort Rittenhouse." 



INDEX 



Academy of Music, 25, 48, 204, 207 

Academy of Natural Sciences, 166 

Academy of Notre Dame, 159 

Acme Tea Co., 81 

Acorn Club, 170 

Adams Express Company, 55 

Adams, Robert, Jr., 32 

Adirondack Mountain Reserve, 274 

Advent, Church of the, 175, 176 

Africa, 203 

Agassiz, Professor, 31 

Agnew, Dr. D. Hayes, 52, 114 

Agnew, Mrs. Erwin, 114, 115, 116 

Agnew, Mary Irwin, 111, 114 

Ahrend, 143 

Albany, N. Y., 67 

Alexander Presbyterian Church, 1 1 1 

Alexandria, Va., 173 

Algeria, 110 

Allen's Map, 8 

Alliance Frangaise, 170 

Allibone's Dictionary of Authors, 162 

Allibone, Thomas, 174 

Allied Realty Company, Inc., 91, 93 

America, 67, 82, 169, 203, 241, 251, 

259 
American Bar Association, 281 
American Dredging Company, 77 
American Philosophical Society, 5, 

263, 283 
American Pulley Company, 18 
American Sunday School Union, 189, 

190, 199, 200 
Annapolis, Naval Academy, 38 
Ann Street, 98, 128 
Antarctic Continent, 73 
Anthony, Captain, 21 
Antiquary, 249, 250 
Anti-Slavery Society, 286 
Apprentices' Library, 243 
Arch Street, 22, 39, 117, 135, 193, 

292, 298, 299 
Archaological Museum (U. of Pa.), 

148, 188 
Arminian, 175 
Armstrong, Alan, 288 
Army and Navy, 86 
Arnett, Harriet, 52 
Arnett, William W., 52 
Arrott, Mr. and Mrs. "William, 2 1 



Art Alliance, Philadelphia, 8, 193, 

196, 197, 202 
Art Club, 223 
Art Jury, 138 
Ashbridge, Mrs., 176 
Ashhurst, John, 73 
Ashmead, Captain, 117 
Ashmead, Eliza, 1 1 7 
Ashmead, Lewis, 48 
Ashton, Dr. and Mrs., 37, 39 
Asia, 203 

Astor, Baron William Waldorf, 294 

Athenaeum, The, 138 

Athletic Association of the University 

of Pennsylvania, 56 
Atlantic Refining Company, 123 
Atwood, White & Co., 77 
Audenried, Judge Charles Y., 201 
Audenried, John T., 197, 201 
Audenried, Emma (Mrs. John T.), 

197, 202 
Austria-Hungary, 294 

Babylonia, 227 

Bache, Professor Alexander Dallas, 
165 

Bache, Deborah, 155 

Bailey, Banks & Biddle Co., 194 

Baker, Miss, 38 

Baker Building, 268 

Baker, William S., 38 

Baldwin Locomotive Works, 39, 163 

Ballymena, Ireland, 200 

Baltimore, 109, 199, 200, 260, 271 

Bank of North America, 63, 247 

Banks, Clayton French, 194 

Baptist Church, 67 

Bar Association, Pennsylvania State, 
273, 281 

Barklie, Archibald, 160 

Barney, Charles D., & Co., 44 

Barton, Dr. John Rhea, 109 

Bates, Miss Florence, 192 

Battle Hymn of the Republic, 8 

Baxter, Sylvester, 73 

Beauties and Celebrites of the Na- 
tion, 42 

Belfast, 15 

Belgravia, 123 

Bell, Walter D wight, 138 



(309) 



3io 



Index 



Bellevue-Stratford, Old, 247 

Benoist, Miss, 229 

Benson, Mrs. L. P., 295 

Bent, Rev. Rufus H., 196 

Beth Eden Baptist Church, 123 

Biddle, Col. Chapman, 157 

Biddle, Hon. Craig, 222 

Biddle, James S., 176 

Biddle, Nicholas, 200 

Binney, Horace, 184, 207, 226, 257, 

274, 294 
Bird's Eye View of Rittenhouse 

Square, ii 
Blanchard, Miss Anna, 176 
Blockley, 32 
Blois, 203 

Blood's Dispatch, 10 
Blue Reserves Home Guard, 86 
Board of Education, 76, 79 
Board of Trade, The Philadelphia, 194 
Bob-tail Cars, 120 
Bodine, Samuel T., 149 
Bohlen, John, 174, 175, 176 
Bok, Edward W., 204 
Boker, George H., 294, 296 

Bolingbroke, 197 

Bond, L. Montgomery, 111, 174 

Borie, C. and H., 290 

Boston, 67, 69, 73, 173, 174, 175, 215, 
265, 292 

Boston Row, 134 

Boston Symphony, 155 

Boulton, William G., 52 

Bourse, The, 218 

Bowen, Ezra, 50, 52, 54 

Bowen, William E., 50 

Brewster, Hon. Benjamin Harris, 286, 
287, 288 

Brickmaker's Church, 1 74 

Brinton, Mrs. Jasper Y., 192 

Brighton, England, 217 

British Army, 76 

British Consul, 247 

British Museum, 117 

Broad Street, 8, 48, 84, 117, 123, 163, 
227, 247, 249 

Brock, Mrs. Alice Gibson, 146 

Brock, Col. Robert Coleman Hall, 
147, 148 

Brooks, Rev. Phillips, 30, 172, 173, 175 

Brown, Alexander, 53, 176, 189, 190 

Brown Brothers & Co., 50, 53, 129 

Brown, David S., 35 

Brown, George, 53 

Brown, James, 53 

Brown, John A., 53, 197, 199, 200 

Brown, John A., Jr., 143, 145, 189 



Brown, Mrs. John A., Jr., 145 

Brown, John H., 63, 64 

Brown, Martha M., 150 

Brown & Reed, 151 

Brown, Sir William, 53 

Browns & Bowen, 50, 52 

Buchanan, Rev. Edward Y., 170 

Buchanan, President James, 170, 285 

Buckman, Mrs. Emily, 155 

Bucknell, 50, 52 

Bucks County, 1 1 1 

Bulletin, Philadelphia Evening, 76, 120 

Bulwer's Novels, 162 

Bunker (Bonne-Coeur), Hannah 

Clement, 293, 294 
Butler, Mrs. Pierce, 25 
Buttonwood Street, 173, 175 

Cadet Corps, 48 

Cadiz, Spain, 233 

Cadwalader, John, 221 

Cadwalader, Hon. John, 221 

Cadwalader, Judge, 294 

Cairo, Egypt, 73 

Caldwell, Annie, 131 

Caldwell, Elizabeth, 131 

Caldwell, Francis G., 131 

California, 36 

Callowhill Street, 100 

Calvinistic, 175 

Camden & Amboy R. R. Co., 77 

Cameron, Hon. J. Donald, 213 

Cameron, Hon. Simon, 211 

Cameron, Virginia R. (Mrs. Wayne 

MacVeagh), 211 
Campbell, St. George Tucker, 294 
Canada, 288 
Candelet, Al'en, 16 
Canton, China, 138 
Cardeza, J. W. M., 266 
Carey, Henry C, 198 
Carlisle, England, 91 
Carpenter Street, 217 
Carpenter, William, 67 
Carson, Hon. Hampton L., 120, 274, 

305 
Carson & Newbold, 283 
Carver, Alexander Burton, 233, 234 
Carver, A. B., & Co., 233 
Carver, Samuel, 233 
Carthagena, 247 

Cassatt, Alexander J., 165, 168, 170 
Cassatt, Mrs. Alexander J., 169, 170 
Centennial Exhibition of 1876, 27, 41, 

154, 247 
Century Magazine, 133 
Chambers' Encyclopedia, 161 



Index 



3 11 



Chambersburg, Penna., 237 

Chancellor Street, 258, 263 

Charleston, S. C, 82 

Charleston, S. C, Mining and Manu- 
facturing Company, 60, 194 

Chester County, 151 

Chestnut Hill, 274 

Chestnut Street, 10, 16, 36, 50, 52, 
76, 83, 84, 110, 111, 119, 120, 125, 
134, 135, 151, 174, 177, 178, 180, 
182, 193, 199, 200, 221, 263, 267, 
268, 277, 278, 286, 302 

Chestnut & Walnut Line, 119 

Chew, Benjamin, 5 

Chew, Major David S. B., 150 

Chew, Mary J. B., 150 

Children's Aid Society, 20 

Children's Sea-Side Home, Atlantic 
City, 277 

Childs, George W., 103 

Childs-Drexel Home, 103 

China, 215, 233 

Christ Church, 135, 299 

Christiana, 76 

Church Alley, 243 

Church of the Atonement, 37 

Church House, Diocese of Pennsyl- 
vania, 170 

Cilley, Judge, 112 

Cincinnati, Ohio, 229 

Cincinnati, Society of the, 22 

Citizens' Passenger Railway Co., 211 

City Parks Association, 294 

City Troop, First, 32, 113, 166 

Civil War, 7, 16, 17, 23, 31, 40, 44, 
48, 63, 69, 86, 97, 99, 111, 162, 
166, 172, 209, 211, 255, 270, 276, 
294 

Claghorn, James L., 207 

Clark, Charles D., 298, 299 

Clark, Ephraim, 297 

Clark, Mrs. Ephraim, 298 

Clarke, Dr. H., 110 

Clinton Square, 84 

Clinton Street, 189 

Cochran, William G., 210, 211 

Coffin, Lemuel, 174, 175, 176, 177 

Cohen, Charles J., vii, 84, 173, 298 

Cohen, Mrs. Charles J., 173 

Cohen, Henry, v, 82, 83, 86 

Cohen, Mrs. Henry, v, 83, 85, 155 

Cohen, Joseph, 82 

Cohen, Solomon, 83 

Colgate, Richard, 271 

Collins, Alfred M., 126, 127 

Collins, Mrs. Alfred M., 128 

Collins, Henry H. (Harry), 127 



Colonial, 22 

Colonial Dames of America, 156 

Colonial Society, 27 

Colorado Springs, 103 

Columbia, Pa., 97 

Columbia Canal Basin, 151 

Comfort, Aaron, 131 

Commercial National Bank, 255 

Committee of 100, 201, 300 

Committee of Safety, 5 

Commonwealth Artillery, 3 1 

Comptroller of the Currency, 257 

Concord, Mass., 237 

Confederate, 73, 87, 172 

Congress of the U. S., 11, 79, 226, 257, 

271 
Conner, Edward, 183 
Constable, Archibald, 198 
Constable, John, 191 
Constitutional Convention of 1874, 

76 
Continental Congress, 22, 77 
Continental Currency, 39 
Continental Hotel, 1 1 1 
Continental Powder Mill, 5 
Controller of the City of Philadelphia, 

279 
Converse, John H., 163 
Converse, John W., 163 
Cooke, Jay, 44 
Cooke, Jay, & Co., 138 
Cooper, Rev. Charles, 30 
Copeland China, 84 
Corinthian Yacht Club, 80 
Corwin, Thomas, 197 
Councils of the City of Philadelphia, 

4, 16, 76, 77, 79, 226, 279, 300 
County Fire Insurance Co., 204 
Court of Common Pleas, 35, 99, 201, 

286 
Coxe, Mrs. Brinton, 295 
Coxe, Tench C, 135 
Crabbe, Bill, 16 
Craige, Seth, 162 
Crane Iron Co., 283 
Crawford's School, 22 
Crawshay, 260 
Cresson Springs, 153 
Cresson, Wm. P., 174, 175, 176 
Crimea, War in the, 76, 131, 132, 261, 

269 
Croskey, George Duncan, 117 
Croskey, Henry, 117, 118, 122, 127, 

128 
Croskey, Mrs. Henry, 119 
Croskey, Dr. John Welsh, 123 
Croskey, Miss, 117 



312 



Index 



Cross, Michael, 110, 176 

Crousillat House, 144 

Crousillat, Louis Marshall Jacques, 

143 
Crousillat, Miss Margaret, 143 
Cruelty, Society for the Prevention 

of, to Animals, 162 
Crusoe, Robinson, 117 
Cushing, Joseph, 199 
Custom House, U. S., 180 
Curtin, Governor Andrew G., 86 
Cuyler, Theodore, 67, 74, 75, 76, 77, 

222 
Cuyler, Mrs. Theodore, 75 
Cuyler, Thomas De Witt, 77, 222 
Cyfarthfa Castle, 260 
Czar of Russia, 259 

Dale, Gerald, 275 

Dale, Mrs. Gerald, 276 

Dale, Dr. John, 271 

Dale, Dr. Richard Colgate, 271 

Dale, Richard C, the Elder, 271, 272 

Dale, Mrs. Richard C, the Elder, 
271, 273 

Dale, Richard C, 50, 272, 273, 274, 
275 

Dallas, Judge George M., 148 

Dallett, John, & Co., 52 

Dallett, Miss, 129 

Dallin, Cyrus E., 8 

Dalzell Oil Co., 94 

Dangerfield, Daniel, 286, 288 

Darby, 121 

Darley, Francis T. Sully, 176 

Darmstadt, University of, 168 

Darwinian Theory, 32 

Daughters of the American Revolu- 
tion, 156 

Davis, Celestine Anna, 278 

Davis, Mrs. Edward P., 157 

Davis, Jefferson, 131 

Davis, Samuel, 278 

Davis, Sussex D., 35 

Davis, Mrs. Sussex D., 35, 36 

Deaf and Dumb, Pennsylvania Insti- 
tution for the, 138 

Dean Street (now Camac Street), 28 

Declaration of Independence, 77, 91 

Dedication, v 

Delafield, 131, 132 

De Lancey Place, 196 

Delaware, 5, 32, 117, 231 

Delaware and Hudson Canal, 278 

Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity of 
Philadelphia, 281 

Delta Psi Fraternity, 56 



Democratic Club, 281 
Dennis, Sarah, 39 
Devon, 248 
Dickens, Charles, 290 
Dickinson College, 237 
Dictionary of Biography and Mythol- 
ogy, 161 
DTnvilliers, Miss, 208 
Diocese of Pennsylvania, 18, 170 
Divine, Mattie, 15 
Divine, William, 13, 15, 16 
Divine, Mrs. William, 16 
Divine, William, Jr., 12, 14, 16 
Divine, William Elliott, 12 
Divine, William Stafford, 12 
Dobbins, Edward T., 25, 26, 27 
Dobbins, Miss, 26 
Dobbins, Richard J., 26 
Dock Street, 10, 251 
Dodson, Richard W., 217, 218 
Dodson, Mrs. Richard W., 217, 219 
Dodson, Miss Sarah Paxton Ball, 217, 

220 
Dolan, Sarah Brooke, 229 
Dolan, Thomas, 229, 231 
Dover, N. H., 35 
Drexel, Anthony J., 40, 100, 101, 102, 

103, 104 
Drexel, Col. Anthony J., Jr., 243 
Drexel & Co., 100, 213, 294 
Drexel, Francis A., 79, 100, 101, 102 
Drexel, Francis M., 100, 101, 106 
Drexel, George W. Childs, 267, 269 
Drexel, Mrs. George W. Childs, 269 
Drexel Institute, 103, 106, 203, 274 
Drexel, Louise B., 67, 77, 79 
Drexel, Mrs. Margarita A., 243 
Drug Exchange, Philadelphia, 194 
Duane, William, 155 
Duane, William J., 155 
Duluth, 44 
Dunnohue, Ann, 117 
Durant, Frederick C, 138, 139 
Durant, Mrs. Frederick C, 138, 139 

Earle, George H., 286, 288 
Earle, George H., Jr., 81 
Eastern State Penitentiary, 11, 32 
Easton, Alexander, 121, 122 
Eastwick & Harrison, 258 
Eckendorf, Major, 48 
Edict of Nantes, 39 
Edinburgh, 198, 263 
Edwards, George W., 159, 247, 248 
Edwards, George W., Family, 304 
Edwards, George W., the younger 
110 



Index 



3i3 



Edwards, Jane B., 271 

Edwards, John H., 247 

Egyptologist, 24 

Eighth Street, 129 

Eighth Ward Settlement House, 19 

Eighteenth Street, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 
18, 48, 93, 117, 120, 123, 127, 171, 
186, 226, 241, 242, 245, 246, 255, 
258, 261, 263, 265, 266, 267, 269, 
271, 278, 283, 284, 285, 289, 294, 
297, 301, 303 

Eisenbrey, Mrs., 266 

Eleventh Street, 151 

Ellet, Mrs., 42 

Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, 255 

Ellison, John B., & Sons, 129 

Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania, 170, 
185, 186, 263 

England, 16, 22, 39, 131, 251 

Engles, Charlotte S., 109 

English Ancestry, 117 

Epiphany, Church of the, 277 

Episcopal Academy, 189, 234 

Episcopal Church, 180 

Episcopal Hospital, 18 

Erie, Pa., 5 

Erie Railroad, 16 

Equitable Life Assurance Society of 
the U. S., 57 

Europe, 50, 83, 91, 132, 203, 284 

Evans, Manlius G., 151, 153 

Evans, Mrs. Manlius G., 151 

Fahnestoclc, James F., vii, 278, 283 

Fairchild, C. B., 122 

Faires, Dr. John W., 28, 180, 272, 275 

Fairman, Gideon, 165 

Fairmount Park, 6, 8, 27, 76, 107, 111, 

243 
Fairmount Park Art Association, viii, 

73, 103, 105, 144, 204 
Fairmount Park Commission, 77 
Fallon, John, 158, 159 
Falls of the Schuylkill, 21 
Farmers & Mechanics National Bank, 

91, 138, 162 
Fair, John, 251 
Federal Government, 23 
Fell, Sarah Drexel, 241 
Felton, Samuel L., 289 
Felton, Sibley & Co., 276 
Fetterman, George Edwards, 248 
Fidelity Trust Co., 112 
Field, Mr. and Mrs. John W., 290, 291 
Field, Catharine, 138 
Field, Mrs. Charles, 138 
Field, Thomas Y., 138 



Fiero, Erwin Agnew, 1 16 

Fifteenth Street, 263, 277 

Fifth Street, 93, 118, 120, 175, 180, 
193, 218, 219, 286 

Filbert Street, 1 1 7 

Fillmore, President Millard, 16 

Finance Co. of Pa., 231 

Fink, Julius, 131 

Fish House Club (State in Schuyl- 
kill), 29 

Fisher, Samuel F., 206, 207 

Fitler, Alfred, 193 

Fitler, Edwin H., 193, 203 

Fitzgerald, Thomas, 271 

Flanders, N. J., 278 

Fleming, Mrs. Mattie J., 15 

Fling, William B., 135 

Florance, Jacob L., 268 

Florance, Lucien, 267 

Florance, Theodore, 267 

Florance, William, 267, 268, 269, 270, 
277 

Florance, Mrs. William, 267 

Florance, William, the Younger, 267 

Florence, Italy, 157 

Flower Market, 7, 8 

Floyd, William, 77 

Foch, Marshal, 187 

Foreword, vii 

Forney, Mrs. John W., 155 

Forrest, Edwin, Home, 204 

"Fort Rittenhouse," 298, 299, 305 

Fort Sumter, 175 

Founders and Patriots of America, 
111 

Fourth International Prison Con- 
gress, 283 

Fourth Street, 16, 22, 39, 50, 83, 84, 
160, 199, 293 

Fox, Dr. Charles W., 63, 65 

Fox, Mrs. Charles W., 63 

Fox, George S., 202 

Fox Hunt, 80 

France, 131, 187, 261 

Franciscus, George C, 151, 153, 154 

Frankford, 120 

Franklin, Benjamin, 5, 88, 155, 157, 
197 

Franklin County, 96 

Franklin Fire Insurance Co., 205 

Franklin Institute, 149, 217, 255 

Franklin and Marshall College, 97 

Franklin Medical College, 278 

Franklin Sugar Refining Co., 18 

Frazier, Benjamin West, 17 

Frazier, Isabella Zimmerman, 17 

Frazier, William W., 13, 17, 18 



3H 



Index 



Frazier, Mrs. William W., 19, 20 
Free Library of Philadelphia, vif, 73, 

208 
Free nasons of Pennsylvania, 1 1 
French, Clayton, 193, 194 
French, Harry B., 193 
French, Howard B., 193 
French Republic, 187 
French, Richards & Co., 193 
French, Samuel H., & Co., 193 
French Society of Geography, 203 
French-Syrian Commission, 276 
French War Relief Committee, 185, 

186, 187 
French, William H., 10 
Friends' Ground, 39 
Frishmuth, Edmund H., Jr., 127, 129 
Frishmuth, John C. W., 129 
Front Street, 120, 217 
Fugitive Slave Act, 286 
Furness, Dr. Horace Howard, 25, 26, 

165, 166, 167 

Gainsborough, 191 

Galli, Count, 248, 249, 252 

Galli, Countess, 248, 249, 253 

Garfield, President, 211 

Gas Trust, 300 

Gaul & Lewis, 229, 233 

Gaul, William, 228, 229, 233 

Gazetteer of the World, 161 

Geographical Bulletin, 4 

George's Hill, 107 

George, Rebecca, 107 

Georgia, 25 

Georgetown College, 285 

German Hospital, 106 

Germantown, 117, 208 

German town Cricket Club, 81 

Germany, 294 

Gerome, 297 

Gettysburg, 86, 95, 123, 172 

Giant's Causeway, 15 

Gibbs, Frances A., 243 

Gibbs, William W., 243, 244 

Gibbons, Charles, 94, 95, 143, 144 

Gibbons, Mrs. Charles, 95 

Gibson, Miss Alice, 146, 148 

Gibson, Charles M., 160 

Gibson, Henry C, 146, 148 

Gillespie, Mrs. E. D., 154, 155, 156, 

157 
Gilmore, Alfred, 141 
Gilmore, Louisa L., 141 
Gilpin, Charles, 286 
Girard College, 11, 16 
Girard National Bank, 283, 296 



Girard, Stephen, II, 155 

Gloucester Manufacturing Co., 203 

Goat, the Bronze Statue, 125 

Godey's Lady's Book, 68, 74 

Godwin, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B., 283 

Golden Gate, 41 

Goodrich, Samuel G., 61, 88, 89 

Goodwin, Mrs. 164 

Gould, J. Edward, 110 

Gould, lay, 98 

Gould & Fischer, 110 

Gouverneur, Alida, 296 

Grace Church, New York, 296 

Gratz, Anderson, 133 

Gratz, Miss Elizabeth, 155 

Gratz Family, 83, 294 

Gratz, Rebecca, 131, 133, 134 

Gray Reserves, 217, 221 

Great Britain, 160, 261, 270 

Great Exhibition of 1851, 16 

Green Street, 1 1 7 

Gregory Latin School, 278 

Grew, Mary, 288 

Griffiths, Mary H., 25 

Grigg, El'iot & Co., 160 

Grigg, John, 174, 197, 198, 199, 211 

Grigg, Mrs. John, 199 

Groesbeck, R. Benoist, 229, 230 

Groesbeck, Rosine E., 229, 230 

Groesbeck, William G., 229 

Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit 

Co., 194, 204 
Guaranty Trust Co. of New York, 194 
Guardians of the Poor, Board of, 226 

Hacker, Charles, 55, 60, 61, 62 

Hacker, Mrs. Morris, 61 

Hacker, Sarah Earle, 55 

Hague Tribunal, 211 

Hahnemann Medical College, 235 

Hale, Charles, 73 

Hale, Rev. Edward Everett, 68 

Hale, Frances, 75 

Hale, Horatio, 72 

Hale, John M., 174 

Hale, Miss Lucretia, 73 

Hale, Miss Sarah Josepha, 68, 71, 72 

Hale, Mrs. Sarah Josepha, 67, 69, 70, 

71, 72, 74 
Hallowell, Anna Davis, 288 
Hallowell, Morris L., 288 
Hampton Institute, 18 
Handel, 137 
Hanover, 203 
Hanson, Hannah A., 35 
Hanson, William Rotch, 34, 35, 303 
Harding, Dorothy Barney, 40 



Index 



3i5 



Harding, James Horace, 40, 44, 45 

Hare, Hon. John I. Clark, 35 

Hare, Mary Fleeming, 36 

Hare, Dr. Robert, 35 

Hare, Robert H., 35 

Harper, James, 196, 203, 217, 225, 

226, 233, 241 
Harper's Weekly, 269 
Harrisburg, 286 

Harrison, Charles Custis, LL.D., 19 
Harrison, Charles C, Jr., 294 
Harrison Day Nursery, 20 
Harrison, Frazier & Co., 18 
Harrison, Mr. and Mrs. George L., 

19, 175 
Harrison, Joseph, Jr., 139, 258, 259, 

260, 261, 262, 263, 265, 266 
Harrison, Mrs. Joseph, Jr., 262 
Harrison, Havemeyer & Co., 18 
Harrison, William H., 265 
Hart, Reginald L., 55, 59 
Hart, Harry R., 57, 60 
Hart, Thomas, 55, 57 
Hart, Thomas, the Younger, 55 
Hart, Mrs. Thomas, 58 
Hartford, the U. S. S., 49 
Harvard, 63, 72, 166, 175, 279 
Harvard Club, 281 
Harvey, Alexander E., 140, 141 
Harvey, Caroline, 150 
Harvey, Tosiah L., 150 
Harvey, Rachel L., 138, 141, 142 
Harvey, R. Wistar, 141 
Haseltine, Frank, 195, 196 
Haseltine, Ward B., 196 
Haseltine, Mrs. Ward B., 196 
Haverford, 81 

Haverford College, 151, 299 
Hays, Dr. Isaac, 262, 263 
Hays, Dr. I. Minis, 263, 283 
Hazleton, Pa., 237 
Helmuth, John K., 35 
Henry, Joseph, 87 
Henszey, William P., 37, 39 
Hertz, Henry, 76 
Hewlings Family, 58 
High Street, 9, 243 
Hillegas, Michael, 21 
Hinckley, Isaac, 288, 289 
Hinds, Rev. William Prescod, 278 
Historic Families of America, 100 
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 

vii, 38, 93, 134, 138, 217, 225, 228, 

234, 280, 294, 299 
Historical Society of Virginia, 28 1 
Hlasko, M., 48 



Hoffman, Matilda, 131 

Holland, 111 

Holy Trinity Church, 18, 20, 109, 

111, 171, 173, 174, 177, 233, 265 
Holy Trinity Memorial Chapel, 243 
Home Guards, 23 
Home for Incurables, 266 
Home of the Merciful Saviour for 

Crippled Children, 123 
Hood, Thomas, 40 
Hopkins, Mary J., 110 
Hopkins, Dr. Samuel, 109 
Hopkins, Dr. William Barton, 108, 

109 
Hopkinson, Oliver, 159 
Horner, Susan, 157 
Horstmann, Emma L., 177 
Horstmann, Sigmund, 164 
Horstmann, Walter, 177 
Horstmann, Mrs. William J., 177 
Horticultural Society, 234 
Hospital for Wounded Soldiers of the 

Civil War, 155 
Howell, Francis Carpenter, 69 
Howell, John, 67 
Howell, Zophar C, 63, 66, 67, 91 
Howell, Mrs. Zophar C, 68 
Huff, George F., 40 
Huguenot, 39, 294 
Hunchback, The, 25 
Hunter, Doctor, 177 
Hunter, Edmund A. W., 177 
Hunter, Mrs. Frances Hale, 75 
Hunter, Miss Mary Stockton, 70 
Hunter, Richard Stockton, 75 
Hunter, Miss Sarah, 70 
Hunter, Thomas P , 67, 80, 81 
Hutchinson, Mrs. Francis M., 267 

Illinois, 247 

Illustrated London News, 269 

Independence Hall, 95, 295 

Indiana, 247 

Indian Medicine Man, 8 

Ingersoll, Mr. and Mrs. Charles 
Edward, 215 

Ingersoll, Hon. Joseph R., 226 

Insurance Company of North Amer- 
ica, 284 

International Railway Congress, 283 

Iowa, 247 

Ireland, 14, 81, 200 

Irving, Washington, 131, 133, 165 

Italy, 211 

Ivanhoe, 133 

Ivers, Alene, 213 



3i6 



Index 



Jackson, President Andrew, 155 

Jacques, Maria, 39 

Jaggar, Rev. Thomas A., 175 

Jamaica, 180 

Janney, Deborah Tower, 67 

Janney, Robert Miller, 81 

Jastrow, Dr. Morris, 26 

Jayne, Dr. David, 301, 302 

Jefferson Hospital, 108, 156 

Jefferson Medical College, 162, 237 

Jessup, Alfred D., 233 

Jews of Philadelphia, 133 

Johnson, John G., 80 

Johnston & Tingley, 233 

Johnston, Governor William F., 16 

Jones, John D., 180 

Judge, 57 

Julia, 25 

Juliet, 25 

Justice, Mrs. Huldah, 155 

Keim, Mrs. George De B., 41, 44 

Keith, Mr. and Mrs. Charles P., 299 

Keith's Theatre, 151 

Kelsey, Albert, 244, 246 

Kemble, Charles, 25 

Kemble, Frances Anne, 25, 26 

Kennedy, 93, 134, 225, 228 

Kensington, 120 

Kentucky, 197 

Keystone Battery, 276 

Kinder, 176 

King Phillip's War, 67 

Kirtley, Mr., 50 

Knowles, Sheridan, 25 

Koecker, Dr., 48 

Koecker, Lewis, 48 

Kortright, Sir Charles Edward Keith, 

247, 250 
Kortright, Lady, 247, 248, 251 
Krumbhaar, Louis, 129 
Kuhn, Hartman, 151, 283 

Ladd, Mrs., 8 
Ladies' Magazine, 67, 74 
Lady from Philadelphia, 73 
Laessle, Albert, 125 
Lafayette, General, 226, 294 
Lake Geneva, 241 
Lancaster County, 76 
Lancaster, Pa., 151 
Landreth Family, 60 
Landreth, Lucius S., 55 
Land Title and Trust Co., 84 
Lankenau, Frank, 106, 107 
Lankenau Hospital, 106 



Lankenau, John D., 21, 100, 105, 

106, 107 
Lankenau, Mary J., 21 
Laplace, Dr. Ernest, 82, 87 
Law Association of Philadelphia, 280 
Lawrence, Frances A., 233 
Lawrence, Francis. C, 233 
Lawrence, Sir Thomas, 191 
Lawyers' Club, 281 
Lea, John W., 260 
Le Conte, Mrs. Robert, 215 
Ledger, The Philadelphia Public, 72, 

174, 188, 249, 250, 269 
Lee, Dr. Edmund J., 35, 36 
Lee, Marv E., 35, 36 
Lee, General Robert E., 172, 173 
Leech's Transportation Line, 151 
Leedom, Joseph, 158 
Leedom, Mary M., 158 
Lefferts, Walter, 4 
Leidy, Mrs. Joseph, 186 
Leigh, Canon, 25 
Leigh, Lord, 25 

LejtSe, William R., 37, 240, 241, 269 
Lennig, Charles, 267, 269, 270 
Lentz, Anna, 281, 283 
Leonard, Samuel, 174 
Lesley, Susan (Mrs. J. Peter Lesley), 

73, 74 
Lessing, 137 
Letitia Street, 237 
Levis, Dr., 52 
Lewis, Edwin M., 91, 138 
Lewis, John A., & Co., 233 
Lewis, John F., the Elder, 138 
Lewis, John Frederick, 138 
Lewis, Percy M., 91 
Lewis, S. Weir, 138, 139 
Lewis, Theodore C, 229, 232, 233 
Lincoln, Abraham, 74, 211 
Lincoln Drive, 6 
Lincolnshire, England, 25 1 
Lippincott, Craige, 157 
Lippincott, Isabel Armstrong, 160 
Lippincott, Joshua B., 160, 161, 162, 

199 
Lippincott, Mrs. Joshua B., 162, 163 
Lippincott, J. Bertram, 164 
Lippincott, J. B., Co., 198 
Lippincott, Mrs. J. Dundas, 163 
Lippincott, Sallie E. (Mrs. Craige 

Lippincott), 151 
Lippincott, Walter, 164 
Lit Brothers, 162 
Lit, Col. Samuel D., 163 
Liverpool, 83, 237 
Lloyd, William S., 117 



Index 



317 



Lloyd, Mrs. William S., 117 

Locust Street, 6, 10, 13, 19, 28, 40, 

48, 171, 207, 258, 262, 265, 266, 

267, 269 
Logan, Algernon Sydney, 299 
Logan Square, The Fair in the Year 

1864, 155 
Lombard Street, 16 
London, 83, 117 
Longstreth, John Cooke, 285, 288, 

293 
Longstreth, Judge Morris, 285 
Longstreth, William W., 250 
Louisiana, 264, 278 
Lowell, James Russell, 290, 292 
Ludlow Street, 93 
Lundy, Rev. John P., 294 
Lundy, Mrs. J. P., 294, 295 

Macalester, Charles, 283 
Mackenzie, Peter, 303 
MacKeown, Elizabeth C, 127 
MacVeagh, Wayne, 211, 212 
MacVeagh, Mrs. Wayne, 211, 212 
Mahan, Admiral, 151 
Malbone, 133 
Manchester, 15 
Manning Street, 98, 1 28 
"Man Without a Country," 69 
Marine Corps, U. S., 138 
Market Street, 9, 63, 109, 162, 193, 

199, 217, 233, 243 
Markoe, James, 233 
Marshall, Miss Eugenia J., 242 
Martin, Mrs. J. Willis, 7 
Maryland, 4, 32, 76, 271 
Mary's Lamb, 70 
Massachusetts, 55, 63, 173, 215 
Mason and Slidell, 73 
Masonic Temple, 226 
Mastbaum, Jules E., 45 
McCall, Peter, 279 
McCauley, Rear-Admiral, U. S. 

Navy, 49 
McClellan, General George B., 48, 

131, 132 
McFadden, George H., 303 
McFadden, Mrs. George H., 303 
McFadden, John H., 189, 190, 191 
McFadden, Mrs. John H., 190, 192 
McFadden, John H., Jr., 192 
McFadden, Philip, 192 
McHenry, Miss, 155 
Mcllvain, Charles J., Jr., 243 
McKim, Alexander, Widow of, 109 
McKim, Miss Letitia, 110 
McKim, J. Miller, 293 



McKim, Mead & White, 107 
McLean, Justice, 197 
McLean, William W., 10 
McMichael, Hon. Charles B., 99 
McMichael, Hon. Morton, 99 
McNeely, Robert K., 193 
McVicar, Rev. William Neilson, 175 
Medico-Chirurgical College, 238 
Memorial Hall, 5, 26, 243 
Mendelssohn, Felix, Bartholdy, 137 
Mendelssohn, Moses, 136, 137 
Mercantile Library, 138, 193 
Merchants Trust Co., 280 
Meredith, William M., 294 
Merion Cricket Club, 56 
Methodist Episcopal, 173 
Mexico, 188 
Michigan, 247 
Middle City Bank, 40 
Mifflin, Governor, 117 
Mifflin, Mary, 117 
Minor Street, 93 
Mitten, Thomas J., 122 
Montevideo, 17 
Montgomery County, 229 
Montgomery, Rev. James, 295 
Montgomery, Dr. James A., 296, 297 
Montgomery, John Teack'.e, 295, 

296, 297 
Moore, Mrs. Joseph, 203, 204 
Moore, Joseph, Jr., 203, 205 
Moore & Sinnott, 45 
Morais, Henry S., 133 
Mordecai, Mrs. Alfred, 133 
Mordecai, General, 131 
Mordecai, Major, 130, 132, 133, 134 
Mordecai, The Misses, 131 
Mordecai, MisS Rosa, 134 
Morgan, Frank E., 50 
Morrell, General Edward de V., 77, 

78, 79, 80 
Morris, Dr. J. Cheston, 174, 175, 176 
Morris, Robert, 59 
Morris, R. E., 158 
Morris Street, 120 
Morse, 88 

Morus Multicaulis, 183 
Moscow, 259 
Mott, Lucretia, 288 
Mozart, 137 
Munzinger, Peter, 110 
Museum of Archaeology, 19 
Mustin, Captain H. C, U. S. N., 117 

Napoleon, 241 
Nashua, N. H., 63 
Natatorium, 48 



3i8 



Index 



Nathan, Mrs. Frederick, 277 

National Bank Act, 257 

National Guard of Pennsylvania, 77 

Narragansett, 30 

Naval Academy, U. S., 48 

Navy Department, U. S., 117 

Neff, John R., Jr., Ill, 112, 113, 115 

Neff, Mrs. John R., Jr., 112, 114 

Neff, Jonathan C, 112 

New Albany, Indiana, 135 

New Amsterdam, 1 1 1 

New Bedford, 290 

Newbold, Charles, 2S3, 285 

Newbold, Thomas, 150 

Newbold's, W. H., Son & Co., 147 

New Century Club, 274 

New England, 25, 292 

New Granada, 247 

New Jersey, 160, 218, 220, 271 

New Orleans, 3S 

Newport, 45, 48, 77, 166 

New York, 5, 22, 39, 55, 58, 120, 131, 
195, 237, 270 

Nineteenth Street, 8, 9, 14, 21, 2S, 
67, 97, 98, 100, 117, 120, 127, 143, 
145, 150, 159, 171, 182, 189, 190, 
226, 237, 249, 302 

Ninth Street, 111, 165 

Norris, Emily, 180 

Norris, Dr. George W., 55, 62 

Norris, Hannah, 180 

Norris, Henry, 62, 180, 181 

Norris, Isaac, 180 

Norris, Joseph Parker, 180 

Norris, Samuel, 177, 180 

Norris, Thaddeus, 30 

North America, Bank of, 256, 257 

North American and United States 
Gazette, 99, 108 

North Penn R. R. Co., 91 

Northern Home for Friendless Chil- 
dren, 138 

Northern Trust Co., 254 

Norton, Charles Eliot, 290 

Nottman, John, 171, 265 

Nyack, N. Y., 77 

Obreskoff, Col., 132 

Ohio, 247 

Old Swedes Church, 2 1 7 

Old York Road, 193 

Orne, Miss, 265 

Orpheus, 110 

Oxford University, 147 

Page, Allison & Penrose, 280 
Page, James, 22.5 



Page, S. Davis, 278, 279, 280 

Page, Mrs. S. Davis, 278, 282, 283 

Page, Dr. William Byrd, 278 

Pan-American Building, 244 

Pancoast, Charles H., 151, 152 

Pancoast, Dr. Joseph, 151 

Parish House, Holy Trinity, 174 

Park Commission, 99 

Parley, Peter, 61, 88, 89 

Paris, 89, 188 

Paul, James W., 292, 293, 294 

Paul, Mrs. James W., 293, 294 

Paul, James W., Jr., 294 

Paul, Lawrence T., 294 

Paul, Mary, 294 

Paul, Oglesby, 295 

Peabody, George F., 203 

Peale, Rembrandt, 272, 273, 292 

Peale, Charles Wilson, 271 

Peggy Shippen, 188, 249, 293 

Peirce, Hon. William S., 286, 287, 288 

Peraberton, Rebecca, 283 

"Penn," 120 

Penn Club, vii 

Pennsylvania, 4, 5, 76, 86, 96, 138, 
208, 213, 247 

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine 
Arts, 28, 138, 148, 166, 207, 290, 
291, 292 

Pennsylvania Company for Insur- 
ances on Lives and Granting An- 
nuities, 79, 162 

Pennsylvania Freeman, 292 

Pennsylvania Militia, 16 

Pennsylvania Museum and School of 
Industrial Art, 27, 156, 207, 209, 
231, 254 

Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 76, 
77, 91, 96, 97, 107, 152, 153, 168, 
169, 271, 283, 301, 302, 303 

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing 
Co., 194, 205, 217 

Pennsylvania Society of Colonial 
Governors, vii, 278, 280 

Pennsylvania Volunteers, 16 

Pennsylvania Warehousing Co., 194, 
204 

Penrose, Senator, 280 

Pepper, George S., 207, 208, 222 

Pepper, Hon. George Wharton, 208 

Pepper, Dr. William, 207 

Pepper, William Piatt, 207 

Percival, Mary Ann, 22, 23, 35 

Percival, Thomas C, 22, 33, 35 

Perott's Malt House, 228, 229 

Person County, N. C, 211 

Peterkin Papers, 73 



Index 



319 



Peters, Richard, Jr., 291 
Peters, Judge Richard, 5 
Petrograd, 259 
Philadelphia Bar, 2 1 , 43 
Philadelphia, Bird's Eye View, 2 
Philadelphia City Institute, 10 
Philadelphia Club, 55, 80, 113, 148, 

162, 297 
Philadelphia & Columbia R. R., 152 
Philadelphia Country Club, 80 
Philadelphia Electric Co., 231 
Philadelphia & Erie R. R. Co., 22 
Philadelphia General Hospital, 123 
Philadelphia Librarian, 297 
Philadelphia Library, vii, 121, 122 
Philadelphia National Bank, 162, 211 
Philadelphia Orchestra, 156 
Philadelphia & Reading R. R., 100, 

162, 247 
Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, 

112, 162 
Philadelphia Trust Co., 18, 254 
Philadelphia, Wilmington & Balti- 
more R. R., 169, 288 
Phillips, Anna, 25 
Phillips, Clement S., 25, 28, 29, 31 
Phillips, Clement S., the Younger, 

28, 298 
Phillips, George Brinton, 28 
Phillips, John, 28 
Phillips, William, 28 
Philobiblon Club, vii 
Phcenixville Iron Works, 55 
Phcenixville, Pa., 211 
Physick, Philip, 14, 183 
Physick, Dr. Philip Syng, 184, 299 
Pierce, President, 131 
Pine Street, 21, 48 
Pittsburgh, 63, 168 
Piatt, Charles, 265, 284, 286 
Piatt, Mrs. Charles, 287 
Piatt, Clayton T., 265 
Pleasanton, Col., 23 
Plymouth, the Ship, 138 
Plymouth Street, 127 
Pool in centre of Rittenhouse Square, 

vi 
Portia, 25 
Posey, Dr. Louis Plumer, 233, 234, 

235 
Potomac, Army of the, 7 
Potter, Bishop, 102 
Potter, Mrs. James, 215 
Potter, Sarah James, 229 
Powel, Col. John Hare, 188, 189 
Powel, Robert Hare, 80 
Powel, Samuel, 189 



Powelton, 189 

Powers, Thomas H., 173, 174 
Powers & Weightman, 249, 253 
Powers, Weightman, Rosengarten 

Co., 177 
Presbyterian Hospital, 108, 248, 251 
Price, Eli Kirk, 125 
Price, Eli Kirk, the Elder, 285 
Princeton, 71, 108, 135, 207, 271 
Prison Inspectors, Board of, 226 
Protestant Episcopal Church, 18, 

170 
Protestant Episcopal Diocese, 165 

Quaker, 160, 180 

Quaker City National Bank, 280 

Queen of Spain, 158 

Rabbit, The, 80 

Race Street, 117, 160 

Racquet Club, 80 

Radnor Cricket Club, 56 

Radnor Hunt Club, 80 

Raeburn, 191 

Railways, City Passenger, 1 1 8 

Randall, Samuel J., 11 

Read, T. Buchanan, 70 

Reath, Thomas, 264 

Red Cross Society, 157 

Redner, Lewis H., 176 

Reeves, David, 55 

Reeves, Rebecca Anna, 55, 58 

Reform Club, 268 

Reilly, Emma Tower, 21 

Rensselaer Polytechnic College, 169 

Repplier, Agnes, 31, 146 

Repplier, George S., 146 

Repplier, Mrs. George S., 146, 147 

Republican, 40, 229 

Revolution, American, 21, 38, 59 

Reynolds, General, 166 

Reynolds, Sir Joshua, 191 

Rhoads, Charles J., 129 

Rhode Island, 67 

Richardson Home, 248 

Richardson, John, 247, 256, 257 

Richardson Memorial, 248 

Richardson, Miss, 177, 179 

Richardson Ward, 248 

Richmond, Va., 43, 197 

Ridge Avenue Railway Co., 1 17 

Ridgway Branch, Philadelphia Li- 
brary, 35 

Riegel, Jacob, & Co., 203 

Rittenhouse Club, 76, 77, 80, 148, 
162, 207, 217, 221, 223, 225, 281 



320 



Index 



Rittenhouse, David, 3, 5, 6, 298, 299, 

300 
Rittenhouse Square Improvement 

Association, 7 
Rittenhouse Square Rea'ty Co., 189 
Rittenhouse Street, 6, 127, 297, 301 
Roberts, Algernon Sydney, Sr., 182, 

184, 237 
Roberts, Algernon Sydney, Jr., 185, 

249 
Roberts, Charles, 300 
Roberts, Mrs. Charles, 299 
Roberts, Elizabeth C, 265 
Roberts, Miss Elizabeth W., 237 
Roberts, Frances A., 265 
Roberts, G. Theodore, 237, 238 
Roberts, Mrs. John B., 91 
Roberts, Miss, 248 
Roberts, The Misses, 184, 266 
Roberts, Sarah Cazenove, 237 
Roberts, Solomon W., 91, 92 
Roberts, Mrs. So'omon W., 91, 92 
Robinson, Edward M., 211, 213 
Robinson, Mrs. Edward M., 213 
Rogers, Evans, 165 
Rogers, Fairman, 165, 166, 168 
Rogers, Mrs. Fairman, 166, 167 
Roman, Dr. and Mrs., 109 
Roman Catholic, 159 
Rome, 283 
Romney, 191 
Roosevelt, Theodore, 31 
Rosengarten, Frank H., 177 
Rosengarten, Mrs. Frank H., 177, 179 
Rosengarten, George D., 135, 136, 

177, 178 
Rosengarten, Joseph G., 135, 177 
Rose Tree Hunt Club, 80 
Rowland, Joseph G., 129 
Roxborough, 5 

Royal Geographical Society, 203 
Rush's Lancers, 18 
Russia, 131, 211, 259, 261, 270, 283, 

294 
Russian Government, 258, 260 
Saint Gaudens, Augustus, 212 
St. Andrew's Church, 129 
St. Anthony Club, 8 1 
St. Bride's Parish, 117 
St. Christopher's Hospital, 277 
St. George's Hotel, 247 
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 171, 

264, 265 
St. Michael's Church, 295 
St. James' Episcopal Church, 217 
St. Patrick's Church, 127 
St. Paul's Church, 274 



St. Paul's School, Concord, N. H., 147 
St. Petersburg (now Petrograd), 259, 

262, 283 
St. Stephen's Church, 296 
Samuel, J. Bunford, 131 
Samuel, Matilda, 83 
Sanders, Mrs. John, 155 
Sanford, Edward S., 55, 56 
San Francisco, 41 
Sanitary Commission, 40 
S;rgeant, John, 294 
Sargent, John Singer, 32, 290, 291 
Saturday Club, 166 
Savannah, 112 

Savidge, Eugene Coleman, M.D., 288 
School of Anatomy, The Philadelphia, 

237 
School Directors, 29 
Schott, Miss Mary W., 109 
Schott, William, 109 
Schuylkill Fifth Street, 8, 13, 243 
Schuylkill Fourth Street, 8 
Schuylkill Front Street, 9 
Schuylkill Rangers, 77 
Schuylkill River, 9, 174 
Scotch Ancestry, 1 17 
Scotland, 22 
Scott, Alexander, 24 
Scott, Mrs. Edgar, 215 
Scott, Mrs. Eliza Perkins, 55, 58, 60, 

61 
Scott, Miss Hannah, 24 
Scott, Sir John, 22 
Scott, Hon. John M., 24 
Scott, Lewis A., 22, 23, 24, 141 
Scott, Lucius H., 55 
Scott, Col. Thomas A., 28, 93, 96, 97, 

98, 202 
Scott, Col. Thomas A., Residence, 97 
Scott, Mrs. Thomas A., 2s, 91 
Scott, Sir Walter, 133, 198 
Second Presbyterian Church, 135 
Second Regiment, N. G. P., 147 
Second Street, 135 
Semiladis, 143 
Seventeenth Street, 10, 50, 110, 25S, 

262, 265 
Seventh Day Baptists, 219, 220 
Seventh Street, 84, 110, 135, 217, 298, 

299 
Shakespeare, 25, 40 
Shannon, Ellwood, 91 
Sharpless, Samuel J., 159 
Sheffield, 50 

Shelton, Frederick H., 7 
Shields, Rev. Charles W., 135, 136 
Shippen, Peggy, 188, 249, 293 



Index 



321 



Shober, John B., 289, 290 

Shoemaker, Dr. John V., 237, 238 239 

Shot Tower, 217 

Sibley, Edward A., 275, 276 

Sibley, Mrs. Edward A., 271, 276 

Siddons, Mrs., 25 

Simpson, Mrs. Matthew, 155 

Sinnickson, Charles P., 135 

Sinnicksop, Mrs. Charles P., 135, 137 

Sinnott, Annie E., 40, 45, 46 

Sinnott, Joseph P., 40, 45, 47 

Siter, Annie E. B., 50 

Siter, Dr. E. Hollingsworth, 50, 54 

Siter, Susan H., 50 

Sixteenth Street, 52, 76, 135, 171, 173, 

177, 178 
Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry, 17 
Sixth Street, 84, 118, 120 
Sixtieth Street, 248 
Slade, Alfred, 237 
Slevin, Jamqs, 182 
Slevin, John 182 
Sloanaker, Elizabeth B., 141 
Sloanaker, William H., 141 
Smith, Mrs. A u brey H., 155 
Smith, Catharine, 35 
Smith, Charlps, 36 
Smith, Decatur, 110 
Smith, Professor Edgar Fahs, 35 
Smith, General, 166 
Smith, Kline & French Co., 193 
Smith, Roberf, 93 > 94 
Smith, General Rudolph, 2 1 
Smith, Thomas D., 20, 21 
Smith, Rev. William, 21 
Smith, William Rudolph, 21, 38 
Smithsonian Institution, 87 
Smyth, Samuel, 151 
Smyth, Sarah E. (Mrs. Charles H. 

Pancoast), 151 
Social Art Club, 76, 162, 221, 223, 

225 
Society of the Cincinnati, 22 
Society of Colonial Wars, 81, 280 
Society of Friends, 39, 180 
Society of the Sons of St. George, 9 1 
Soissons, 110 

Sons of the American Revolution, 280 
Sons of the Revolution, 27, 77, 113, 

124 
South America, 17, 100 
South Atlantic, 3 1 
South Carolina, 39 
South Schuylkill Fifth Street, 8 
South Schuylkill Fourth Street, 8 
South wark National Bank, 217 
Spain, Queen of, 158 



Sparks, Richard, 218, 219 

Sparks, Thomas, 217, 221, 222 

Sparks, Mrs. Thomas, 223 

Sparks, Thomas W., 217, 224 

Spooner, Walter W., 100 

Spruce Street, 55, 67, 98, 110, 123, 

129, 228, 229, 298, 303 
Starr, Dr. Louis, 50, 54 
Starr, Mary Parrish, 50 
State Legislature, 24 
State in Schuylkill, 29, 55, 80 
Stevens, Bishop, 129 
Stevenson, Mrs. Cornelius, 185, 186, 

187, 188 
Stille, Mrs. Charles J., 155 
Stitt, Mr. and Mrs. Seth B., 266 
Stock Exchange, Philadelphia, 237 
Stoddard, Alice Kent, 179 
Stokes, Dandy, 6 
Stoneleigh Abbey, 25 
Story, Julian, 213 
Stotesbury, Edward T., 122, 25.X, 263, 

265, 266 
Stotesbury, Mrs. Edward T., 263 
Stratford Hotel, 247, 249 
Street Railway Transportation, 119, 

120, 121 
Stuart, Gilbert, 21, 292 
Sturgis, Robert R., 214, 215 
Sturgis, Mrs. Robert S., 215, 216 
Sully, Thomas, 21, 91, 183 
Sunday School, Holy Trinity, 174 
Supreme Court of Russia, 261 
Supreme Court of the United States, 

197 
Swain, James, 159 
Swain, William, 165 
Switzerland, 281 
Sylvester, Charles, 237 
Sylvester, Frederick, 237 
Sylvester, Frederick J., 236, 237 
Sylvester, Sarah, 237 
Symphony Concerts, 155 
Syria, 276 

Tabernacle Church, 123 
Tanner, 8 

Tate, Miss Elizabeth, 283 
Tatham, William, 301, 302 
Taylor, Aaron, 110 
Taylor, Cornelia, 109 
Taylor, Fanny M., 109 
Taylor, Frank H., 182 
Temple, Joseph E., 171 
Tennent, Derrickson & Co., 243 
Tennent, James, 243 
Tenth Street, 111, 193, 278 



322 



Index 



Tevis, Joshua, 82, 84, 85 

Texas & Pacific Railway, 98 

Thackeray, 50, 290 

Thanksgiving Day, 74 

Third Regiment, N. G. P., 77 

Third Street, 10, 215, 267 

Thirteenth Street, 48, 263 

Thomas, Ann, 278 

Thomas, Rear-Admiral Charles M., 

41, 43, 48, 49, 298 
Thomas, Doctor, 161 
Thomas, Joseph T., 40, 41, 42, 43 
Thomas, Mrs. Joseph T., 41, 42, 43, 

44 
Thomas, Miss Mabel L. H., 278 
Thomas, Samuel B., 40 
Thomas, Samuel Hinds, 278 
Thomson, Dr. Archibald G., 107 
Thomson, John Edgar, 97, 152, 301, 

302, 303 
Thomson, Mrs. John Edgar, 155, 302, 

303 
Thomson, Frank, 107 
Thomson, Mary Lowber, 100 
Thomson, Dr. William, 107 
Tingley, Burton, & Co., 233 
Tomkins, Rev. Floyd W., 174, 175 
Torresdale, Pa., 231 
Totem Fountain, 8 
Tower, Hon. Charlemagne, 21, 283, 

294 
Tower, Mrs. Charlemagne, 294 
Towne Scientific School, 55 
Townsend, John W., 174 
Travelers Aid Society, 20 
Treasurer of the U. S., 21 
Treasury, Secretary of the U. S., 197 
Trent, Steamer, 73 
Trinity Church, Boston, 173, 175 
Troy, N. Y., 169 
Trumbower, Henry C, 211 
Tuley, Col., 43 
Turkey, 131, 211, 261 
Turner, 191 
Tustin, Ernest L., 116 
Twelfth Street, 40, 134, 199, 200 
Twentieth Street, 127, 173 
Twenty-first Street, 228, 229, 253 
Twenty-second Street, 119, 217 
Tyrone County, Ireland, 225 

Ugny-le-Gay, 186 
Uncle Tom's Cabin, 293 
Underground Railroad, 288 
Union Benevolent Association, 138 
Union Club, 162, 196, 294 



Union League, The, 23, 27, 81, 86, 95, 
162, 166, 196, 204, 207, 209, 229, 

292, 294 

Union Pacific Railroad Co., 98 
United Gas Improvement Co., 149, 

229 
United States Bank, 200 
United States Coast Survey, 165 
United States Commissioner, 285, 286 
United States Congress, 11, 79 
United States Consul in Paris, 89 
United States Dispensatory, 162 
United States District Court, 286 
United States Exploring Expedition, 

72 
United States Hotel, 16 
United States Legation in Rome, 283 
United States Mint, 5 
University Club, 148, 281 
University of Pennsylvania, 5, 6, 17, 
18, 19, 21, 22, 31, 32, 35, 56, 79, 
103, 124, 147, 148, 162, 165, 188, 
207, 234, 269, 272, 274, 284, 289, 

293, 297 
Uruguay, 17 

Valparaiso, 49 

Van Lennep, Mrs. William B., 55 

Van Rensselaer, Mr. and Mrs. Alex- 
ander, 242 

Van Rensselaer, Gratz, 133 

Vansant, Abraham Larue, 111, 112 

Vansant, Mrs. Abraham Larue, 1 1 3 

Vansant, Dr. E. L., Ill 

Vatican, 265 

Vaux, Emily Norris, 180 

Vaux, Richard, 10, 11 

Venezuelan Arbitration, 211 

Venus, Transit of, 5 

Vicksburg, 95 

Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and 
Ireland and Empress of India, 91 

Vienna, 124, 165 

Villequier-Aumont, 186 

Vinton, Rev. Dr., 174, 175 

Vinton, Mrs., 175 

Violett, Miss, 38 

Virginia, 43 

Virtue, Liberty and Independence, 16 

Vonnoh, 208, 292, 294 

Vox Populi, 1 1 

Wade & Butcher, 50 
Wade, Robert, 50, 51 
Wade, Mrs. Robert, 5 1 
Waldteufel, 143 
Wales, 260 



Index 



3 2 3 



Walnut Place, 250 

Walnut Street, 6, 8, 14, 40, 48, 50, 52, 
62, 76, 93, 109, 118, 120, 143, 145, 
150, 163, 171, 173, 180, 182, 189, 
217, 222, 225, 226, 227, 237, 241, 
242, 246, 247, 248, 249, 255, 257 

Walnut Street Presbyterian Church, 
vii, 111 

Walraven, Emma, 131 

Walraven, Ira E., 131 

Walsh, Stevenson Hockley, 250, 251 

Waltham, England, 251 

Wanamaker's Bethany Church, 258 

Wanamaker, John, 108, 258 

Wanamaker, Mary Lowber, 100 

Wanamaker, Thomas B., 100, 107, 
108 

War, Assistant Secretary of, 97 

War of 1812, 271 

Warner, Annie R., Hospital, Gettys- 
burg, 123 

Warner, Benjamin, 197, 198 

Warren County, Ohio, 197 

Washington, D. C, 42, 74, 97, 134, 
244 

Washington, General, 271 

Washington Hotel, 84 

Washington Square, East, 162 

Washingtoniana, 38 

Waters, Mr. and Mrs. Jason, 202 

Watson, William C, 182 

Weaver, George I., 193 

Webster, Daniel, 16 

Weightman, Sabine J., 207 

Weightman, William, 208, 247, 249, 
251, 252, 253, 254, 255 

Weightman, William, Jr., 207, 208 

Weil, Mathilde, 46 

Weld, Mr., 265 

Wellington, The, 190, 237 

Welsh, 91 

Welsh, John, 108, 174, 283 

Welsh, Mary Lowber, 108 

Welsh, Samuel, 108 

Welsh, William, 174, 283 

Wesley, Charles S., Ill, 116 

Western Saving Fund Society, 18 

West Philadelphia, 6, 121, 251, 266, 
267 

West Point, 131 

Wetherill, Samuel Price, 91, 93, 98, 
196, 197, 202, 301, 302 

Wharton, Charles, 283 

Wharton, Miss Frances Brinley, 186 

Wharton, Dr. Francis, 203 

Wharton, Francis Rawle, 296 

Wharton, Joseph, 164 



Whelen, Dr. Alfred, 38 

Whelen, Charles Smith, 38, 39 

Whelen, Edward S., 37, 40, 241, 257 

Whelen, Henry, 38, 298 

Whelen, Israel, 38, 39 

Whelen, James S., 39 

Whelen, Sarah Y., 37 

Whelen, Townsend, 37, 40 

White, Bishop, 59 

White, Emily T., 67 

White, Floyd Hall, 77, 78 

White, Dr. J. W., the Elder, 31 

White, Dr. J. William, 28, 31, 32, 33 

White, Mrs. J. William, 33 

White, Major, 144 

White, The Misses, 144 

White, Mrs. Richard P., 155 

White, Dr. S. S., 200 

White, S. S., Dental Manufacturing 
Co., 31 

White Haven, 10 

Whitney, Asa, 174, 176 

Whitney, Mrs. Harry Payne, 8 

Whitney, Hon. William C, 49 

Wilkes, Captain U. S. Exploring Ex- 
pedition, 72, 73 

Williams, Roger, 67 

Willing, Abigail, 292 

Willing, Thomas, 5, 257 

Wills Eye Hospital, 123 

Willson, Hon. Robert N., 272 

Willow Street, 100 

Wilmer, Rev. Dr., 264, 265 

Wilstach, Gertrude, 243 

Wilstach, William P., 243, 244 

Wilstach, Mrs. William P., 243, 245 

Winans, 260 

Wind and Spray Fountain, 8 

Winebrenner, David, 267, 268, 288 

Wisconsin, 21, 247 

Wistar, Frances A., 23 

Wister, 299 

Wister, Dr. Caspar, 222 

Wister, Jones, 208, 209 

Wister, Mrs. Jones, 208 

Witmer, Dr. Lightner, 147 

Witmer, Mrs. Lightner, 147 

Wolfsohn, 143 

Woman's Union Missionary Society, 
70 

Women's Centennial Executive Com- 
mittee, 154 

Women's Directory, 20 

Wood, George A., 283, 284 

Woodruff, A. Dickinson, 271 

Woodruff, E. D., 271 

Woodward, Judge, 176 



3 H 



Index 



Woodward, William H., 50, 52 
World War, 170 
Worrell, John R., 215 
Wright, J. Hood, 213 
Wright, S. Megargee, 180 
Wright, Mrs. S. Megargee, 180 
Wurts, George W., 283 
Wurts, Isabella Graham, 282, 283 
Wurts, Johannes Conrad, 282 
Wurts, John, 282 
Wurts, Maurice, 278 
Wurts, William, 278, 280, 281, 282, 
283 



Wurts, Mrs. William, 281, 283 
Wyatt, Mrs. Walter S., 237 
Wyeth, Frank H., 123, 124 
Wyeth, Henrietta B., 117 
Wyeth, John, & Brother, 26, 124 

Yale, 211, 278 

Yeates Institute Fund, 37 

York, Pa., 282 

York Road, 173 

Zurich, 281, 283 



Printed for 

Charles J. Cohen 

by 

The John C. Winston Co. 

Philadelphia, Pa.